CANNIBALISTIC JELLYFISH ARE INVADING THE PRECIOUS LAGOONS OF VENICE WITH NO WAY OF REMOVING THEM<\/a><\/p>\n Lake Memphremagog is located in both Vermont<\/a> and Quebec, Canada<\/a>, and is a glacial lake.<\/p>\n NEWPORT, VERMONT – NOVEMBER 8: The sun sets on Lake Memphremagog, which stands the United States and Canadian borders on November 8, 2021. \u00a0<\/p>\n (Josh Kuckens for The Washington Post \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n A study determined these raised black lesions to be malignant melanomas and observed these lesions in 23 to 37% of brown bullheads sampled between 2014 and 2017.<\/p>\n The high number of melanomas led scientists to believe that the cancer was caused by a contaminant or contagion, thus beginning the testing to determine what caused the cancer, as Lake Memphremagog serves as drinking water for 175,000 people.<\/p>\n SEE IT: RARE FOOTAGE CAPTURES ELUSIVE BLUE-RINGED OCTOPUS CARRYING HER EGGS OFF AUSTRALIAN COAST<\/a><\/p>\n One hypothesis scientists had was that Tropical Storm Irene, which caused extensive flooding in 2011, led to reduced water quality of the lake because of runoff pollution.<\/p>\n Brown Bullhead is a species of catfish, here caught on a link of sausage in a freshwater pond.<\/p>\n (Judy Darby \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n To identify the cause of the cancer, researchers conducted multiple studies, including genomic analyses to determine if there were differences between diseased and healthy fish.<\/p>\n Preliminary genomic analysis showed that the tumors were distinct from healthy tissue. This suggested the cancer may be transmissible, spreading between hosts like a contagious parasite<\/a>.<\/p>\n DEADLY PARASITE KILLS HUNDREDS OF SALMON THROUGH WELL-KNOWN RIVER EXPANDING THROUGH PACIFIC NORTHWEST<\/a><\/p>\n The study noted that transmissible cancers have only even been noted in three species: dogs, Tasmanian devils and multiple species of bivalves like clams, oysters, mollusks and scallops.<\/p>\n Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), Ictaluridae.\u00a0<\/p>\n (DeAgostini \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n In transmissible cancers, tumor genomes across different hosts match each other more closely than they match their host\u2019s own DNA \u2014 showing they all share a single clonal origin, the study said.<\/p>\n THOUSANDS OF GIANT LION’S MANE JELLYFISH SIGHTINGS TRIGGER PUBLIC SAFETY ALERTS FOR NEW ENGLAND BEACHGOERS<\/a><\/p>\n To test if the cancer had a clonal origin, scientists took tissue from healthy fish along with normal and tumor tissues from fish with confirmed lesions from all stages, from mild to severe.<\/p>\n They found evidence to suggest the cancer was indeed transmissible, and the first-known transmissible cancer in fish species as well as in freshwater.<\/p>\n Lake Memphremagog, northern Vermont, looking north into Quebec.\u00a0<\/p>\n (Marli Miller\/UCG\/Universal Images Group \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Scientists said they aren’t sure exactly how the cancer transmits, but using clues from other transmissible cancers in animals<\/a> as well as the biology<\/a> of the brown bullhead catfish, inferred that reproduction or aging had a role in the transmission.<\/p>\n![\"NEWPORT,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/gettyimages-1241233343-scaled.jpg\")
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