Biological variables, especially skeletal deformities in fish, for monitoring marine pollution.

When considering principles for selection of indicators, i.e. biological variables, for monitoring marine pollution, it must be regarded as important to search for effects on the highest possible level of organization. For a global monitoring programme there are, however, many practical limitations in the number of useful indicators. The paper suggests skeletal deformities in fish as one possible indicator for this purpose in the future and gives a review on the occurrence, effects, causative factors and possible mechanisms of skeletal deformities in fish.