o 
Results show that it is difficult to find a "control 
population" for comparison with the California popu¬ 
lation because all examined so far have been impacted 
in some way by pollutants and/or have significant 
environmental differences. Nevertheless, of all popu¬ 
lations examined, the San Francisco Bay/Delta fish 
appear in the worst health. 
2. Sex . Although most fish sampled were females, both sexes 
were impacted. Because sexes were sampled differently, 
and because of strong sexual differences, sexes were also 
separated in the factor analysis. 
o Males had higher levels of petrochemicals and PCBs in 
the liver and primarily toluene in testes. 
o Females had higher levels of petrochemicals in 
ovaries, higher levels of metals in all tissues and 
higher levels of PCBs in ovaries than males had in 
testes. 
o Body and liver condition was poorer in males than in 
females. 
3. Other Factors . After location and sex, a large proportion 
of the variation (in the selected variable data base) was 
accounted for by the factors of age, color pattern, sexual 
maturity, pollutants, year, the time in the prespawning 
season, and parasites. An example of factor analysis 
results is given for the San Joaquin River from 1978-1983 
Table 1. 
o Year. Concentrations of petrochemicals varied with 
year (1978 to 1984) of sampling (Table 2). Most 
separate compounds and higher levels were found in 
striped bass in 1978, 1979, and 1981. Some fish from 
all years, however, contained petrochemicals (except 
small sample of 7 fish in 1982). Cestode larvae and 
lesions varied yearly and related to age and sexual 
maturity of adults. Egg condition was poorest in 
1978, 1979, and 1981, correlating significantly with 
petrochemical concentrations in the liver and ova¬ 
ries. 
o Age. Older fish were in poorer condition, with 
reduced fecundity, higher parasites loads, and 
greater concentrations of some pollutants, 
particularly PCBs and metals. 
o Color pattern type. There were different growth and 
reproduction rates, body proportions, and pollutant 
and parasite burdens in fish of different color 
pattern type (e.g. solid-striped, broken-striped, 
etc.). 
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