Mountain brook lamprey

Last updated

Contents

Mountain brook lamprey
Ichthyomyzon greeleyi.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Infraphylum: Agnatha
Class: Hyperoartia
Order: Petromyzontiformes
Family: Petromyzontidae
Genus: Ichthyomyzon
Species:
I. greeleyi
Binomial name
Ichthyomyzon greeleyi
Synonyms [1] [2]
  • Ichthyomyzon hubbsiRaney 1952

The mountain brook lamprey or Allegheny brook lamprey (Ichthyomyzon greeleyi) 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 mountain brook lamprey is a non-parasitic lamprey, meaning that they do not attach themselves to larger species of fish. The mountain brook lamprey is believed to have evolved from[ clarification needed ] the parasitic Ohio lamprey (I. bdellium) and occurs, often in abundance, within many of the tributaries of the Ohio and Tennessee River systems. [3] All non-parasitic lampreys require two distinctly different habitats that are connected by free flowing (free of dams) stretches of streams. Adults are found in clear brooks with fast flowing water and either sand or gravel bottoms. Juveniles or ammocoetes are found in slow moving water buried in soft substrate of medium to large streams. [4] In the larval stage before metamorphosis, the lampreys feed on detritus and algae, and after they complete metamorphosis, they obtain energy from stored fat reserves. The spawning season for lampreys is from late April to early May. [5]

Geographic distribution

The mountain brook lamprey has a fragmented range in the Mississippi basin with populations being found in New York, Pennsylvania and adjacent areas of Ohio. Mountain brook lamprey are also found in the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers in Tennessee, northern Alabama, Kentucky, and Virginia. In New York State, this lives in French Creek, and other northern and central parts of the Allegheny basin. The mountain brook lamprey is found in gravel riffles and sandy runs of clean, clear streams and in the sand, mud and debris in pools and backwaters. It spends its life in creeks without moving to larger rivers. [5]

Ecology

The general view is that lampreys do not feed during metamorphosis with the loss of body energy reserves being countered by water uptake. [6] [7] However, in the case of I. greeleyi, it is reasonable to assume metamorphosing animals do not feed but maintain body size by water uptake. This derives from measurements of oxygen consumption for ammocoetes of I. greeleyi (= I. hubbsi) by Hill and Potter (1970).[ citation needed ] Based on their measurements (9.5”C) and on energy concentration determined for I. gagei, [8] the energy requirements for metamorphosis might be achieved without loss of body weight by increasing relative water content from 75 to 79-81%. Preliminary data indicate body water contents of 75.6 + 0.5 (n = 9), 76.22 0.7 (n = 14) and 76.8 + 0.9 (n = 13) for I. greeleyi in phases 1,3 and 4, respectively. By the completion of metamorphosis body water content increased to 79.4 rt 3.7% (n = 6), a value almost identical to that predicted from the earlier metabolic studies. [9]

Life history

Spawning occurs in late May when the water temperature reaches 18.9 °C (66.0 °F). The males build nests just above riffles in about 1 foot of water, and just downstream from a flat stone 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) in diameter. The male excavates the nest by removing small stones and pebbles, forming a depression about 2 inches (5.1 cm) deep and 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) in diameter with a fine gravel and sand bottom. Spawning occurs when a female moves over a nest and attaches to a rock. Spawning pairs stimulate other pairs to begin spawning. The mountain brook lamprey lives up to five or six years, and usually dies after spawning. [5]

The post-embryonic life cycle of all lampreys includes a distinct larval or ammocoete and adult period. A juvenile period prior to the adult period is present in parasitic lampreys, but is absent in the nonparasitic or brook lampreys. [10] The sedentary and phytophagous larval period of all lampreys is spent in the sandy silt substratum of cool streams. [11] Coloration of live mountain brook lamprey did not change between the ammocoete and senescent periods and ranged from butterscotch to olive brown. The dorsal surface was generally darker than the lateral and ventral surfaces. Scattered dark pigment spots are present along the length of the dorsal-lateral surface. Metamorphosis commenced between early and mid-August. [9] Time required for metamorphosis of the populations of mountain brook lamprey in Bent Creek, Cane Creek and Davidson River is estimated at 100–140 days. [9]

Management

Globally the status of I. greeleyi is "Apparently secure". Further, the short-term trend for the species complies with the stability of the species. However, in the long-term, there has been a 30-70% decline and some extirpation. [12] In 10 states I. greeleyi is considered vulnerable, imperiled, or critically imperiled. The major cause of this decline is habitat destruction due to dams, pollution, and siltation. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brook lamprey</span> Species of jawless fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic lamprey</span> Species of jawless 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.

Mordacia mordax, known as the short-headed lamprey, Australian lamprey or Murray lamprey, is a species of Mordacia that lives in south-eastern Australia and Tasmania. Mordaciidae is made up of three species: M. praedox, M. mordax, and M. lapicida. M. mordax is a relatively rare, parasitic vertebrate and, along with the hagfishes, is part of the only surviving group of jawless organisms throughout vertebrate evolution. It has a thin eel-like body up to 50 cm (20 in) long, with two low dorsal fins on the back half. The skin is blue-gray or brown. Its eyes are small, and located on the top of its head.

<i>Mordacia praecox</i> Species of jawless fish

Mordacia praecox, the Australian brook lamprey or nonparasitic lamprey, is a freshwater species of southern topeyed lamprey that occurs in south-eastern Australia. It has a thin eel-like body around 12 to 15 cm long, with two low dorsal fins on the back half. The skin is dark blue above and grey below. Its eyes are small, and located on the top of its head. Unlike M. mordax, M. praecox has eyes that appear to have the potential for dichromatic vision despite being similarly adapted for low-light environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pouched lamprey</span> Species of lamprey

The pouched lamprey, also known as the piharau in the North Island, korokoro,kanakana in the South Island, or wide-mouthed lamprey, is a species in the genus Geotria, which is the only genus in the family Geotriidae. The second species in the genus is the Argentinian lamprey, which was revalidated as a separate species in 2020. The pouched lamprey is native to the southern hemisphere. It spends the early part of its life in fresh water, migrating to the sea as an adult, and returning to fresh water to spawn and die.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific lamprey</span> Species of jawless fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western brook lamprey</span> Species of jawless fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut lamprey</span> 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, 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 southern brook lamprey is a lamprey found in the Southern United States including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. It is a jawless fish with a sucking mouth on one end of it. It can appear to be a small eel, since it is rarely longer than one foot in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern brook lamprey</span> 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. Unlike other brook lampreys, this fish is parasitic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ukrainian brook lamprey</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake lamprey</span> Species of jawless fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamprey</span> Order of jawless fish

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 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>Ichthyomyzon</i> Genus of jawless fishes

Ichthyomyzon is a genus of lampreys in the family Petromyzontidae, native to North America.

<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. ↑ Vladykov, V.D. & I. Kott. 1979. List of northern hemisphere lampreys (Petromyzonidae) and their distribution. Misc. Spec. Publ. 42, Dept. Fish. Oceans, Ottawa.
  4. ↑ Ohio Department of Natural Resources page
  5. 1 2 3 "Mountain Brook Lamprey - NYS Dept. Of Environmental Conservation".
  6. ↑ Moore, J.W. & I.C. Potter. 1976. Aspects of feeding and lipid deposition and utilization in the lampreys, Lampetrafluviati-lis (L.) and Lumpetru planeri (Bloch). J. Anim. Ecol. 45: 699-712.
  7. ↑ Beamish, F.W.H., I.C. Potter & E. Thomas. 1979. Proximate composition of the adult anadromous sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, in relation to feeding, migration and reproduction. J. Anim. Ecol. 48: l-19.
  8. ↑ Beamish & LeGrow 1983[ full citation needed ]
  9. 1 2 3 Beamish, F.W.H., and Medland, T.E. 1987. Metamorphosis of the mountain brook lamprey Ichthyomyzon greeleyi. Environmental Biology of Fishes 23:45-54.
  10. ↑ Hardisty and Potter, 1971a,b.[ full citation needed ]
  11. ↑ Moore and Mallatt, 1980.[ full citation needed ]
  12. ↑ NatureServe. 2007. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life Archived 2010-01-10 at the Wayback Machine . Version 6.2. NatureServe, Arlintion, Virginia.
  13. ↑ Pennsylvania Natural Heritage factsheet [ permanent dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.