Transmissible catfish melanoma discovered
Analysis based on 11 articles · First reported Jul 22, 2026 · Last updated Jul 28, 2026
The discovery has minimal direct market impact. It may influence funding for wildlife disease research and raise awareness of environmental carcinogens.
Researchers from the University of Vermont discovered a transmissible melanoma in brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog and other New England and Canadian waters. The cancer, published in Nature, is the first known transmissible cancer in a freshwater fish and only the fourth type in animals. Genetic analysis showed tumors share hundreds of thousands of variants not found in hosts, indicating clonal transmission. The cancer likely spreads during spawning, and elevated arsenic levels may play a role. No human risk is known. The discovery may offer insights into cancer biology.
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