Brook lamprey | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Infraphylum: | Agnatha |
Class: | Hyperoartia |
Order: | Petromyzontiformes |
Family: | Petromyzontidae |
Genus: | Lampetra |
Species: | L. planeri |
Binomial name | |
Lampetra planeri (Bloch 1784) | |
Synonyms [2] [3] | |
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The brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri), also known as the European brook lamprey and the western brook lamprey is a small European lamprey species that exclusively inhabits freshwater environments. The species is related to, but distinct from, the North American western brook lamprey ( Lampetra richardsoni ).
The brook lamprey is a common, non-parasitic species that is endemic to Europe. [1] Adult brook lampreys measure from 12 to 14 cm (4.7 to 5.5 in). The body is highly elongated and dark blue or greenish above, lightening to yellowish off-white on the sides and pure white on the ventral side. Like all lampreys, these fish lack paired fins and possess a circular sucking disc instead of jaws, which is filled with blunt teeth. They have a single nostril and seven small gill openings on either side behind the eye. The brook lamprey can be told from the closely related river lamprey ( Lampetra fluviatilis ) by the fact that its two dorsal fins are more closely linked together. [4]
Brook lampreys can be found in small streams and larger rivers throughout northern Europe as well as Portugal, southern France, Italy, Sardinia, the Balkans and the upper reaches of the Volga.
Unlike some species of lamprey, the adults do not migrate to the sea and do not have a parasitic phase. During the spawning time adult brook lampreys do not feed. Brook lampreys spawn in spring and summer in shallow areas of streams and sometimes lakes in gravel close to the soft sediment in which they were previously resident. Both males and females create pits by removing small rocks with their mouths and fanning smaller particles with their tails. The male and female deposit sperm and eggs, simultaneously while intertwined, into the nest. The female can release several thousand eggs, up to 100,000 for some species. Adult brook lamprey spawn in small groups and die soon after spawning. [5]
The eggs hatch within a few days, after which the young larvae bury themselves in soft sediment with only the mouth protruding. The young lampreys are blind filter feeders, feeding on detritus and other organic matter for three to five years before maturing. After spending four years as ammocoetes (Larva), these lampreys metamorphose to adults in the fall and spawn the following spring. This process is complete after the maturation of the gonads. Eyes and suction disk also develop during this time, while the intestinal tract degenerates and loses its function. The full transformation can take up to a year. Thus, these fish develop their teeth precisely when they are no longer able to eat. However, lampreys have been observed gripping stones with their teeth [6] in order to build nests, showing that the teeth do have a function.
The pumpkinseed, also referred to as pond perch, common sunfish, punkie, sunfish, sunny, and kivver, is a small/medium-sized North American freshwater fish of the genus Lepomis, from family Centrarchidae in the order Perciformes.
Kissing gouramis, also known as kissing fish or kissers, are medium-sized tropical freshwater fish comprising the monotypic labyrinth fish family Helostomatidae. These fish originate from Mainland Southeast Asia, the Greater Sundas and nearby smaller islands, but have also been introduced outside their native range. They are regarded as a food fish and they are sometimes farmed. They are used fresh for steaming, baking, broiling, and pan frying. The kissing gourami is a popular aquarium fish.
The Arctic lamprey, also known as the Japanese river lamprey or Japanese lampern, is a species of lamprey, a jawless fish in the order Petromyzontiformes. It inhabits coastal freshwater habitat types in the Arctic. Some populations are anadromous, spending part of their lives in the ocean. It is the most common and widespread lamprey in the Arctic region.
The Pacific lamprey is an anadromous parasitic lamprey from the Pacific Coast of North America and Asia in an area called the Pacific Rim. It is a member of the Petromyzontidae family. The Pacific lamprey is also known as the three-tooth lamprey and tridentate lamprey.
The European river lamprey, also known as the river lamprey or lampern, is a species of freshwater lamprey.
The western brook lamprey is a small (<18 cm), widely distributed, non-parasitic species of jawless fish endemic to the freshwater coastal waterways of the Western United States and Canada. Its range extends from the North American Pacific coast from Taku River, southern Alaska, Queen Charlotte Islands, to central California, including Vancouver Island, with major inland distributions in the Columbia and Sacramento-San Joaquin watersheds.
The Florida gar is a species of gar found in the US from the Savannah River and Ochlockonee River watersheds of Georgia and throughout peninsular Florida. Florida gar can reach a length over 3 ft (91 cm). The young feed on zooplankton and insect larvae, as well as small fish. Adults mainly eat fish, shrimp, and crayfish. Although edible, they are not popular as food. The roe is highly toxic to many animals, including humans and birds.
The chestnut lamprey is a species of lamprey.
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The silver lamprey is a lamprey commonly found in the Northern and Central United States, as well as a large part of southern Canada. Its binomial name means "sucking fish" in Greek and "one-pointed" in Latin. The silver lamprey is a member of the class Agnatha, sometimes referred to as cyclostomes (round-mouths). Other common names include: bloodsucker, blue lamprey, hitch-hiker, lamper, lamprey eel, northern lamprety. The silver lamprey should not be confused with the sea lamprey, which has caused considerable damage to native fish populations in the Great Lakes region.
The mountain brook lamprey or Allegheny brook lamprey is a lamprey found in parts of the Mississippi River basin, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and in the Cumberland River and Tennessee River. This fish is jawless with a small sucker mouth and a long, eel-like body. It is fairly small, only growing to about 8 inches (20 cm) in length.
The northern brook lamprey is a freshwater fish in the family Petromyzontidae. It is closely related to the silver lamprey and may represent an ecotype of a single species with I. unicuspis.
Eudontomyzon danfordi, the Carpathian brook lamprey or Danube lamprey, is a species of lamprey in the family Petromyzontidae. It is found in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Unlike other brook lampreys, this fish is parasitic.
The Kern brook lamprey is a species of lamprey in the Petromyzontidae family endemic to the United States. It is found on the east side of San Joaquin Valley, in lower Merced, Kaweah, Kings, and San Joaquin rivers in California. It can grow to up to around 14 centimeters, and is characterized by its grayish brown and white coloring, and black spots on its fins.
The lake lamprey, Entosphenus macrostomus, also known as the Vancouver lamprey or Cowichan lamprey, a recent derivative of the Pacific lamprey, is a species of freshwater lamprey endemic to two North American lakes: Lake Cowichan and Mesachie Lake in Vancouver Island, Canada. The lamprey was originally called the Vancouver Island lamprey, until an error in filing shortened it to the Vancouver lamprey. The alternate common name of "Cowichan lamprey" was coined and promoted by the species' describer, Dr. Dick Beamish, who originally identified the species in the 1980s.
Lampreys are a group of jawless fish comprising the order Petromyzontiformes. The adult lamprey is characterized by a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. The common name "lamprey" is probably derived from Latin lampetra, which may mean "stone licker", though the etymology is uncertain. Lamprey is sometimes seen for the plural form.
The Caspian lamprey, Caspiomyzon wagneri, is a species of lamprey native to the Caspian Sea, and a member of the Petromyzontidae family. This species is a non-parasitic lamprey that feeds on animal carcasses.
The least brook lamprey is a common, non-parasitic lamprey distributed in the Mississippi River watershed, and a limited range along the Atlantic coast.
The Ohio lamprey is a lamprey found in the Ohio River drainage basin in the United States and is a parasitic species of lampreys. They are considered to be an endangered/rare species in some states, due to siltation, pollution, and construction of dams.
Lampetra ayresii is a species of lamprey in the family Petromyzontidae. It is also called the river lamprey or western river lamprey. It is found in the eastern Pacific, specifically from Tee Harbor, Juneau in Alaska to the Sacramento–San Joaquin drainage in California, USA. It can survive in both marine surface waters and freshwater lakes, rivers, and creeks. In freshwater, it is found typically in the lower portions of large river systems. It is a predatory fish and feeds on fishes in the size range of 10–30 cm. It feeds by attaching to prey using its round, sucker-like mouth. Adult western river lampreys typically grow to about 21 cm (8.3 in) total length (TL), but can reach 31 cm (12 in) TL.