Neoplasia in Estuarine Bivalves: Effect of Feeding Behaviour and Pollution in the Gulf of Gdansk (Baltic Sea, Poland)

Abstract

The incidence of tumors in bivalve molluscs is receiving increased attention due to possible detrimental effects on harvested stocks. Although the etiology or causes of neoplasias remains unclear, pollution by carcinogenic agents is implicated in the heavily exploited littoral zones of coastal waters. In the Gulf of Gdansk, southern Baltic Sea, a higher prevalence of the disorder was observed in infaunal facultative (deposit/suspension) feeders compared to epifaunal obligate suspension-feeders, providing a new behavioural aspect of the tumor. Recent studies also reveal a potential cause-and-effect relationship between sediment factors and the incidence of neoplasia across a range of environmental properties.