Lake lamprey

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Lake lamprey
FMIB 41570 Adult spawning male (A) and Female (B) Lake Lampreys.jpeg
(A) Spawning male and (B) Spawning female
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Infraphylum: Agnatha
Class: Hyperoartia
Order: Petromyzontiformes
Family: Petromyzontidae
Genus: Entosphenus
Species:
E. macrostomus
Binomial name
Entosphenus macrostomus
(Beamish, 1982)
Synonyms [1] [2]
  • Lampetra macrostomaBeamish 1982

The lake lamprey, Entosphenus macrostomus, also known as the Vancouver lamprey or Cowichan lamprey, a recent derivative of the Pacific lamprey, [3] is a species of freshwater lamprey endemic to two North American lakes: Lake Cowichan and Mesachie Lake in Vancouver Island, Canada. [4] 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. [5]

Contents

Description

An adult lake lamprey is dark blue or dark brown with a lighter belly, and the body is 11.8-27.3 cm in length. The lamprey's disc-like mouth is filled with sharp teeth. The Vancouver lamprey has eyes on the top of its head, two dorsal fins, a caudal fin, and an anal fin. [6]

Distribution and habitat

The lake lamprey is found only in the Cowichan and Mesachie Lakes on Vancouver Island, and is not migratory. The lamprey lives and spawns in shallow gravel areas and typically remains in the lake rather than venturing up streams. The ammocoetes larvae are found in silt depositions along the shores of both lakes. [3] They have been found to be capable of surviving in saltwater through experimentation, but remain in fresh water in the wild. [7] An estimated 1,000 to 2,000 live in the entirety of the two lakes as adults. [8]

Sketch of lake lamprey clinging to prey FMIB 39831 Lake Lamprey Clinging to the Sucker Upon Which it was Caught.jpeg
Sketch of lake lamprey clinging to prey

Diet

The adults of several lamprey species, including those of the lake lamprey, are hematophagous predators that latch onto other fish species to feed on their bodily fluids. Young salmonids such as cutthroat trout and the coho salmon are common prey. Wounds have been known to penetrate into the body cavity of hosts, though the majority of prey are only scarred and are not fatally wounded. Only 15% of prey are mortally injured from lamprey feedings. Lampreys are one of the leading predators of salmonids, as shown by the high frequency of salmonids with scars (50-80%) found in the lakes. [7]


Reproduction

Lampreys breed once in their lives around 8 years of age. Spawning is from May to August in shallow gravel bars or the mouths of creeks in their respective lake. Over 10,000 eggs are produced in 2 to 3 weeks. The ammocoetes larvae can be found in silt, mud, or sand with relatively still water, and feed on fine organic materials. [7] These larvae undergo a metamorphosis after 5 to 6 years to become adult lampreys. The adult lifespan is only 2 more years before they return to gravel lake shores to spawn.

Related Research Articles

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The sea lamprey is a parasitic lamprey native to the Northern Hemisphere. It is sometimes referred to as the "vampire fish".

Brook lamprey Species of jawless fish

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Arctic lamprey Species of jawless fish

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Pacific lamprey Species of jawless fish

The Pacific lamprey is an anadromous parasitic lamprey from the Pacific Coast of North America and Asia. It is a member of the Petromyzontidae family. The Pacific lamprey is also known as the three-tooth lamprey and tridentate lamprey.

European river lamprey Species of freshwater lamprey

The European river lamprey, also known as the river lamprey or lampern, is a species of freshwater lamprey.

Western brook lamprey Species of jawless fish

The Western brook lamprey is a small, 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.

Florida gar Species of fish

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. Florida Gar are mentioned in the John Anderson song "Seminole Wind".

Chestnut lamprey Species of jawless fish

The chestnut lamprey is a species of lamprey.

<i>Lethenteron appendix</i> Species of lamprey

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. The silver lamprey should not to 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.

Northern brook lamprey Species of jawless fish

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.

<i>Eudontomyzon danfordi</i> Species of jawless fish

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. It is non-parasitic.

Ukrainian brook lamprey Species of jawless fish

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.

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.

Lamprey Order of vertebrates, the cyclostomes

Lampreys are an ancient extant lineage of jawless fish of the order Petromyzontiformes, placed in the superclass Cyclostomata. The adult lamprey may be 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. Eudontomyzon hellenicus and E. graecus also possibly belong in this genus. 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.

<i>Lampetra ayresii</i> Species of jawless fish

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.

References

  1. Van Der Laan, Richard; Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ronald (11 November 2014). "Family-group names of Recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (1): 1–230. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1 . PMID   25543675.
  2. Froese, R.; Pauly, D. (2017). "Petromyzontidae". FishBase version (02/2017). Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  3. 1 2 McPhail, John (2007). The Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia . Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: The University of Alberta Press. pp.  8–11. ISBN   978-0-88864-467-1.
  4. Smith, K. (2017). "Entosphenus macrostoma". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T11208A81468224. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T11208A81468224.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  5. "The Vancouver Lamprey (aka the Cowichan Lamprey) | Cowichan Watershed Board". www.cowichanwatershedboard.ca. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
  6. "Aquatic Species - Details for Vancouver Lamprey". Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2010-11-17. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Entosphenus macrostomus summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
  8. Docker, Margaret (2013-05-07). "Proposed Recovery Strategy for Vancouver Lamprey". Species at Risk Public Registry. British Columbia Ministry of Environment. Retrieved 22 June 2016.

Further reading