Histopathology of abnormal livers and other organs of starry flounder Platichthys stellatus (Pallas) from the estuary of the Duwamish River, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Abstract. Starry flounder Platichthys stellatus (Pallas) from the Duwamish River estuary, which has received large volumes of pollutants in the past, and starry flounder from two relatively unpolluted reference areas were examined for pathological conditions. Gross and microscopic examination of starry flounders from the Duwamish River estuary revealed one or more of the following unusual liver characteristics in 92% (monthly range 85–100%) of the fish: liver discolouration, liver enlargement, severe fatty vacuolation of the hepatocytes, centrolobular cellular degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes, megalocytic hepatocytes, proliferating perivascular fibroblasts displacing adjacent liver parenchyma, hepatic structural disarray and increased basophilia of hepatocytes in localized areas. Livers of starry flounders, usually spent spawners, from one of the reference areas also had one or more of these characteristics, although at a much lower frequency (<13%), and these included liver discolouration, increased fatty vacuolation of the hepatocytes and hepatic structural disarray.