Renal lesions in estuarine fishes collected from the Elizabeth River, Virginia.

The renal lesions of five species of estuarine fishes from the heavily polluted Elizabeth River, Virginia, and the nearby, less polluted Nansemond River were studied grossly and microscopically. No gross lesions were observed but microscopic lesions occurred in renal tissue. Mesangial sclerosis occurred in hogchoker, and mesangiolysis occurred in both hogchoker and spot. Glomerular lesions in spot and hogchoker were more frequent in Elizabeth River samples than in Nansemond River samples. Tubular lesions occurred in both Nansemond River and Elizabeth River sciaenids and hogchoker; the prevalence of these lesions was higher in Elizabeth River sciaenids but equal in hogchoker. All lesions in toadfish were found only in fish from the Elizabeth River.