Caspian lamprey | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Infraphylum: | Agnatha |
Class: | Hyperoartia |
Order: | Petromyzontiformes |
Family: | Petromyzontidae |
Genus: | Caspiomyzon |
Species: | C. wagneri |
Binomial name | |
Caspiomyzon wagneri (Kessler, 1870) | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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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.
Formerly thought to be the only member of the genus Caspiomyzon , phylogenetic evidence suggests that Eudontomyzon hellenicus and E. graecus (if separate from E. hellenicus) also belong in this genus, and have thus been reclassified as such. [3]
The Caspian lamprey is a slim-bodied, eel-like fish that grows to a length of about 40 cm (16 in). The longest recorded specimen was 55 cm (22 in) long and weighed 206 g (7.3 oz). Like other lampreys, it has no jaws, but it has a round oral disc surrounding the mouth. Inside this it has several radiating rows of tiny, backward-facing teeth. There is a single nostril near the eyes. There are no gill covers and the seven gill openings are visible just behind the head. The fish has no scales or paired fins, but has two elongated dorsal fins, the hindmost of which nearly joins onto the small tail fin. The Caspian lamprey is a silvery-grey colour. [4]
The Caspian lamprey is an anadromous fish which spends its adult life in the Caspian Sea and migrates up the Volga, Sura, and other rivers to spawn. It was at one time a common fish caught in nets and fish traps in the lower Volga for extracting fish oil and making candles and later for human consumption. In the early 1900s, 15 to 30 million fish were harvested annually from the lower Volga. It is now an uncommon fish because its migratory routes have been disrupted by dams and construction projects and it can no longer reach its spawning grounds. [5]
The Caspian lamprey is listed as "Near Threatened" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Damming of rivers in the mid-20th century has caused it to be cut off from its traditional spawning sites, but new sites have been found below the dams. The chief threat more recently has been the drying up of these streams caused by drought. [1]
The brook lamprey, 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.
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.
Lethenteron appendix, the American brook lamprey, is a common non-parasitic lamprey in North America. In adults their disc-like mouths contain poorly developed teeth, useless for attaching to a host.
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 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 Greek lamprey is a species of jawless fish in the Petromyzontidae family. It is endemic to Greece. Its natural habitats are rivers and freshwater springs. It is threatened by habitat loss. This species may be better included in the genus Caspiomyzon. It is the most endangered species of lamprey. It lives only in the Strymon and Louros river basins.
The Ukrainian brook lamprey is a species of lamprey in the Petromyzontidae family. It is found in brackish and freshwater areas in Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine. It invaded the basin of the Volga River in 2001.
Eudontomyzon vladykovi, or Vladykov's lamprey, is a species of lamprey in the family Petromyzontidae. It is found in Austria, Germany, The Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro.
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.
Lethenteron zanandreai, the Lombardy lamprey, is a species of lamprey in the Petromyzontidae family. It is found in Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia. Its natural habitats are rivers and freshwater springs. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Eudontomyzon stankokaramani, the Drin brook lamprey, is a non-predatory, freshwater resident species of lamprey found in the Drin river system of Albania and Kosovo and the basins of Lakes Ohrid and Shkodra.
Caspiomyzon is a genus of lamprey in the family Petromyzontidae. They are native to Eastern Europe and parts of Western and Central Asia. Two of the three species in the genus are endemic to Greece.
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.