3 
Other cases of interest included: (1) a parabranchial body adenoma in a 
rockfish (RTLA 1079) received from Gordon Bell and Gary Hoskins. These 
are well known in Pacific and Atlantic cod but were previously unknown in 
rockfish; (2) a hematopoietic neoplasm in an Australian oyster, Crassostrea 
commercialis , (RTLA 1117) from Peter Wolf. Mr. Wolf has discovered well 
over 100 epidermal papillomas in the mantle of this oyster but this is only 
the second hematopoietic lesion; (3) ossifying dermal fibromas in mullet 
(RTLA 1111) and southern flounder (RTLA 1112) were contributed by Robin 
Overstreet. Donald Lightner has also found lesions of this type in mullet 
(RTLA 807 and 821) and Tom. Wright and Dave Tomljanovich have found them in 
sauger (RTLA 823). Frank Schwartz contributed an ossifying fibroma in the 
jaw of a crevalle jack (RTLA 1233); (4) Fredric Frye contributed a second 
palatine chondromyxofibroma from a tree frog (RTLA 1080); (5) Robert Wolke 
discovered a second striped bass nephroblastoma (RTLA 1124); (6) the first 
metastatic fish nephroblastoma occurred in a crucian carp, Carassius carassius , 
(RTLA 1153) submitted by David Bucke; (7) a metastatic pancreatic carcinoma fn 
a tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum , was submitted by Francis Rose (RTLA 
1226). Approximately 50% of the salamanders living in the same sewage set¬ 
tling lagoon have skin neoplasms, some of which are highly invasive, but 
this is the first case of a metastatic cancer in this population; (8) the 
first plasma cell tumor in a reptile was in a cotton mouth moccasin sub¬ 
mitted by E.P. Finnie (RTLA 1176); (9) three additional cases of benign 
polypoid neoplasms were discovered in bivalve mollusks. One in an Ostre a 
lurida (RTLA 1168) and one in a Crassostrea virginica (RTLA 1228) discovered 
by Michael Mix and by Sara Otto respectively originated from connective tis¬ 
sue proximal to the pericardium. The third case was a myoma of the foot of a 
surf clam, Spisula solidissma , (RTLA 1227) discovered by Louis Leibovitz; (10) 
two cases of bile duct adenofibrosis in white perch (RTLA 1226 and 1234) were 
discovered by Todd Beckerman and R.P. Morgan, II. Similar lesions can be 
induced in rat livers with hepatotoxic chemicals which suggest the perch may 
have been responding to an environmental pollutant. A similar case in a 
Siganus rivulatus (RTLA 1236) was submitted by Ilan Paperna; (11) during a 
routine autopsy of an apparently healthy spiny dogfish shark caught for ex¬ 
perimental purposes, a papilloma of the choroid plexus (RTLA 1221) was dis¬ 
covered by Anthony Guarino, David Prieur, and Joseph Fenstermacher; (12) a 
komodo dragon received as a diplomatic present to the U.S. and housed at the 
National Zoo in Washington, D.C., began exhibiting intestinal disorders in 
1973 and died in 1975 of congestive heart failure. Autopsy showed adenocar- 
cinomatous lesions in colon, spleen, adrenal and pancreas, plus tumor emboli 
in blood vessels. The case (RTLA 1166), investigated by Richard Montali of 
the National Zoo, is the only neoplasm known from this reptilian species. 
An ancient encapsulated hematoma was also found in its foot pad by Charles 
Ross as the hide was being preserved; (13) material was received from thyroid 
hyperplasias and neoplasias in a variety of fish. It is difficult to make a 
definitive diagnosis of adenocarcinoma in fish thyroids because fish fre¬ 
quently get goiterous hyperplasias from lack of iodine or exposure to thy¬ 
roid toxins such as thiourea. Since fish thyroids are unencapsulated, the 
hyperplastic follicles from goiters often invade but do not destroy nor¬ 
mal tissues and can even be seen separating muscle fibers. RTLA 1099-1103 
were Amazon mollies from Ronald Hart, with greatly enlarged thyroids. The 
hyperplastic follicles showed extensive tissue damage and local invasion thus 
favoring an interpretation of thyroid carcinoma. RTLA 1155 and 1157 were 
roaches from David Bucke with probable thyroid carcinomas although postmortem 
