American brook lamprey | |
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American brook lamprey late stage transformer (ammocoete metamorphosing into the adult). | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Infraphylum: | Agnatha |
Class: | Hyperoartia |
Order: | Petromyzontiformes |
Family: | Petromyzontidae |
Genus: | Lethenteron |
Species: | L. appendix |
Binomial name | |
Lethenteron appendix (DeKay, 1842) | |
Synonyms [2] [3] | |
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Lethenteron appendix, the American brook lamprey, is a common non-parasitic lamprey in North America. [4] In adults their disc-like mouths contain poorly developed teeth, useless for attaching to a host.
The eggs of the American brook lamprey (ABL) are white, sticky, and small, measuring about 1 mm (0.04 in). When they hatch, the embryos are small as well, measuring less than 5 mm (0.20 in); they are white and wormlike. Within a month they take on the larval appearance. Larvae of all lampreys are called ammocoetes and when small ABL ammocoetes have a dark band running longitudinally along the body, a dark head region, and the remainder of the body is clear. As they increase in size the body becomes increasing darker, reaching a dark brown by the time the ammocoetes reach their maximum size of about 250 mm (10 in). The dark band on the body begins to lighten during this is as well and is not distinct in more mature ammocoetes. However, mature ammocoetes will have a dark spot on the caudal fin. There are likely numerous races of ABL which may have location specific coloration. In Ohio, older ammocoetes have a dark yellow band which runs the entire dorsal surface, as well as pigmentation in the caudal fin. During metamorphosis into the adult form, this coloration changes drastically. Adults in the fall and winter are silver, but can become more black or brownish by the spring when breeding begins. Adults have a dark back, pale belly, yellowish fins, a dark blotch at the end of the tail, and their skin is smooth and leathery and without scales. The body usually retains a silvery appearance at maturation. Adults are usually about 200 mm (8 in) long, although this can be highly variable. ABL are generally found in clear, cold brooks, and small streams. [5]
Ammocoetes of ABL feed on algae and detritus for between three and seven years, before they metamorphose into sexually mature adult fish. Metamorphosis takes place in the late summer and early fall, with adults ready to spawn at the end of winter when spring temperatures are appropriate for egg development (~15 °C). The male(s), aided by a female(s), construct small nests by picking up pebbles with its mouth and moving them to form the rims of a shallow depression. Often adults work in groups, and build the nests communally. During and after construction of the nests, the sticky eggs are deposited in the nest and adhere to the sand and gravel. Adult ABL cannot eat, since they have a nonfunctional intestine, and only live for four to six months. [6] As a result, adult ABL die after spawning.
Marine angelfish are perciform fish of the family Pomacanthidae. They are found on shallow reefs in the tropical Atlantic, Indian, and mostly western Pacific Oceans. The family contains seven genera and about 86 species. They should not be confused with the freshwater angelfish, tropical cichlids of the Amazon Basin.
The 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.
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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 is a genus of lamprey in the family Petromyzontidae.
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 redlip shiner is a North American species of freshwater cyprinid fish. This shiner can be found in a few streams located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. It inhabits rocky pools of clear headwaters, creeks and small rivers. Adults range in length from 40 to 55 mm.
Eastern blacknose dace is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Rhinichthys. Its name originates from the Old French word "dars" which is the nominative form of the word "dart" in reference to their swimming pattern. The western blacknose dace formerly was considered conspecific. While morphologically the two species are not significantly different, they are allopatric. The eastern blacknose dace is found across the southeast portion of Canada and down along the United States' east coast. It is dark brown to olive on its dorsal surface and silvery white below, the two shades separated by the darkly pigmented lateral line. In the breeding season, males develop darker pigmentation and an orange lateral line. Blacknose dace live in rocky streams and rivers where they feed upon small invertebrates and microscopic biological matter and provide forage for larger fish.
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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.
The bluehead chub is a cyprinid native to North America. Its name is due to its appearance, as breeding males have a blue head. Adult bluehead chubs are, on average, between 70 and 160 mm in length. They have a robust body with uniformly large scales. The scales are present on the belly and breast. They have a pored body, a weakly falcate pectoral fin, and pharyngeal teeth. They have a large mouth, small eyes, and a terminal barbel. Other characteristics include a darkened lateral band, spot on the caudal fin, and red coloration of the fins and iris of the eyes. They have 40 lateral line scales and 8 anal rays. The bluehead chub is a freshwater fish, and lives in pools, rivers, and streams. They feed on insects and plants.
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.