Dr. Bunton's primary research interest is on mechanisms of toxicity and carcinogenesis in fish related to environmental contamination and on the development of alternative models.Experimental carcinogenesis using fish species as alternative models is a dynamic field of research. The 1940's expansion of synthetic chemical producing industries coincided with a number of pollution-associated fish neoplasia epizootics, with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as significant components of contaminated sediment in several cases. Epizootics of primarily liver and skin neoplasia in benthic species near coastal urban or industrial areas indicated the sensitivity of fish species to known mammalian carcinogens. Stressing a mechanistic approach, investigators have used data compiled from epizootics as the backbone of current research efforts to define carcinogenesis in fish species. With liver as the focus, patterns of neoplastic development similar to those seen in rodent bioassays have been induced in various fish species by genotoxic carcinogens. Similarities between fish and rodent models include chemical and species-specific responses to exposure and the development of predictable preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions. The expression of molecular molecules related to carcinogenesis is currently under investigation, which includes alterations in certain proteins, enzyme activity, and oncogene/tumor suppressor gene function. The potential for the application of research findings to both human and environmental health issues makes fish species attractive and valuable alternative models in carcinogenesis and toxicity research.Keywords. Medaka; methylazoxymethanol (MAM); molecular markers; N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG); Neoplasia; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); rainbow trout INTRODUCTION Armed with data from fish neoplasia epizootics related to environmental synthetic chemical contamination, research has moved from the morphologic assessment of neoplasms to the identification of molecular mechanisms of neoplastic development and progression. The value of these studies can be argued along 2 lines that are often, but should not be, separated. One is for application to human health issues for which there is a chronic demand, and the other is the inherent value of monitoring the health of the environment, which includes all of the creatures therein. Unfortunately, it is the latter argument that most often has to be vigorously defended, although minimal reflection will reveal that we, too, are members of this population.The present review discusses experimental fish carcinogenesis by first presenting data from neoplasia epizootics that helped to form the framework of our current 604 research efforts. The effects of known direct and indirect carcinogens on various fish species from laboratory studies are then described to illustrate species similarities and differences in tissue response. The latter portion of the paper concentrates on chemical hepatocarcinogenesis and reviews the histologic and molecular marke...