River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) fish species and information / pictures of River lamprey - Lampetra fluviatilis

River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) fish species information

Scientific Name
Lampetra fluviatilis

Common Name
River lamprey

Biology
Amphihaline species. Adults live in the sea, but not as far from the coastline as Petromyzon marinus. They also occur in estuaries. Ammocoetes live in detritus-rich sand or clay sediments. In autumn, adults commonly undergo reproductive migration from the sea to the rivers. During reproductive migration and reproduction, adults do not feed but instead utilize their lipid reserves and are known to undergo a considerable shortening of up to 27 per cent. They spawn in strong-current habitats of rivers and streams. Spawning takes place in pre-excavated pits in river beds, its depth between 50 cm and 1 m; after spawning the adults die. The blind ammocoetes larvae are filter feeders and live mostly buried in the river bed. Metamorphosis takes pl

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1758

Class

Lampreys (Cephalaspidomorphi)

Order

Lampreys (Petromyzontiformes)

Family

Lampreys (Petromyzontidae)

Distribution

Region

Europe

Distribution

Europe: coastal waters and rivers of north-western Mediterranean Sea , along European Atlantic coast, North Sea and the whole of Baltic Sea. Absent from Black, Caspian and Polar seas. Landlocked populations from Lake Mjosa in Norway , Lakes Ladoga and Onega, upper Volga in Russia, Loch Lomond in Scotland, some Finnish lakes and possibly in Lough Neagh in Ireland. Appendix III of the Bern Convention. Protected by law in the Netherlands.

Range

69°N - 38°N, 11°W - 29°E

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

5 °C

Water Temperature To

18 °C

Depth From - meters

10 m

Depth To - meters

Unknown m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; anadromous ; depth range 10 - ? m

Trophic Level

4.5 s.e. 0.80 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

50.0 cm

Common Length

32 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; bait: usually

Vulnerability

High vulnerability (62 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=4-6; tmax=10; fec = 4,000)

Threat To Humans

Poisonous to eat (Ref. 5504)

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)