The Elizabeth River in Virginia is a heavily polluted subestuary with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. The objective of this study was to determine and characterize the hepatic neoplasms induced by the Elizabeth River sediments and water in oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau). Oyster toadfish from a heavily polluted location in the Elizabeth River (total pyrogenic compounds in the surface sediment was 170 ppm) were captured and kept in uncontaminated estuarine water for 6 months. Half of the fish were sampled 3 months after capture. The livers were processed for histological studies. Three fish examined at 3 months had grossly visible multiple tumor nodules. Microtumors were observed in several other fish examined after 3 months. The types of neoplasms observed were hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangioma, cholangiocarcinoma and clear-cell adenoma. The preneoplastic lesions observed were basophilic foci and clear-cell foci. A lesion of uncertain classification was spongiosis hepatis. The results obtained in this study indicate that oyster toadfish is a suitable animal to study the carcinogenicity of contaminated sediments.