o 
Fish from the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary were in 
poorer health or condition than fish from the Coos 
River, Oregon. A 1982 sample indicated that Hudson 
River fish were also in better health than those from 
the San Francisco Bay-Delta. 
o Comparisons with samples from Lake Mead, Nevada 
showed that fish from Lake Mead were definitely less 
parasitized and had lower pollutant burdens than 
those from the San Francisco Bay-Delta system. Lake 
Mead fish, on the other hand, had poor body condi¬ 
tion, indicating starvation and insufficient food. 
o Fish from the San Francisco Bay-Delta had higher 
tissue concentrations and a greater number of sepa¬ 
rate petrochemical compounds than did those from the 
Coos River, Oregon or the Hudson River, N.Y., except 
for some xylenes, which were relatively high in all 
populations of fish sampled. 
o Fish from the Coos River had the lowest concentra¬ 
tions of chlorinated hydrocarbons and heavy metals. 
o Fish from the Hudson River had higher concentrations 
of PCBs in gonads and muscle, and higher concentra¬ 
tions of chlordane and dieldrin in gonads than did 
San Francisco Bay-Delta fish. 
o Fish from the San Francisco Bay-Delta had higher 
levels of copper, zinc, cadmium, and nickel in 
gonads; higher levels of copper, zinc, mercury, and 
nickel in liver. Hudson River fish had higher levels 
of mercury in gonads and muscle and higher cadmium in 
liver. 
o Lesions caused by host reactions to cestode or 
tapeworm larval parasites ( Lacistorhvnchus tenuis ) 
were found only from the San Francisco Bay-Delta. 
The concentrations of several other types of 
parasites were also higher in fish from the San 
Francisco Bay-Delta area than in fish from any other 
area. Hudson River fish had a totally different 
parasite assemblage than fish from the West coast. 
o Egg condition in fish from the San Francisco Bay- 
Delta was significantly poorer than in fish from any 
other area sampled. 
o Fish from San Joaquin River were in poorer condition 
than those from the Sacramento River, showing de¬ 
creased body condition, higher levels of cestode 
larvae, and higher concentrations of zinc and other 
metals. 
86 
