Pigmented subcutaneous spindle cell tumors in native gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)

An epizootic of pigmented subcutaneous spindle cell tumors affected nearly 25% of the adult gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) sampled from Lake of the Arbuckles in central Oklahoma over a 2 year period. Grossly, the tumors were primarily distributed over the head, trunk and fins as superficial raised masses that were almost always darkly pigmented. Histologically, they were located in the dermis, had a variable amount of connective tissue, and consisted of cells in a variety of forms and arrangements. Most tumors were composed of fusiform or spindle cells arranged in wavy bundles, whirling patterns or interwoven fascicles. Pigmentation was attributed to large dense deposits of melanin or to scattered individual melanin-containing cells. Immunohistochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen revealed a high proliferative activity in the spindle cells. Electron microscopy showed that the tumors were composed of several cell types, including host reactive cells, melanocytes in stages of maturity, and fibroblast-like cells. Tumor cells had neither cell-to-cell junctions nor an external lamina. Although the cell of origin of the tumors was not identified, evidence points toward melanocytes or, possibly, nerve sheath cells. However, an origin from fibroblasts or some other poorly differentiated cell cannot be ruled out. The etiology of the tumors was not determined. Fractionation of lake water and sediment samples followed by GC-MS analysis revealed no carcinogenic compounds. A retroviral etiology is unlikely because assays for reverse transcriptase in tumor homogenates were negative, and no evidence of viral particles was found in specimens examined by electron microscopy.