Biology of the North American Anadromous Sea Lamprey, Petromyzon marinus

Abstract

The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the western Atlantic Ocean adjacent to North America is usually found within a depth of 200 m between latitudes of 30 and 53°. Spawning size lampreys have been recorded in 116 rivers between 32 and 48° latitude. The upstream spawning migration which may extend to several hundred kilometres, takes place between March and September, the actual time varying directly with latitude. Fecundity of the anadromous P. marinus (approximately 124 000–305 000) is the highest for any lamprey species. Energy requirements for migration and reproduction are discussed in the context of parental investment. The larval phase lasts 6–8 yr and is followed by a highly synchronous period of metamorphosis. On completion of metamorphosis in late autumn some juveniles migrate downstream to the estuary or ocean and commence feeding. In at least some rivers, a portion of the young juveniles overwinter in the natal stream without feeding. Subsequent to a short feeding period in May these young juveniles leave the river for the sea. Sea lampreys attack a variety of marine elasmobranchs and teleosts. Only swordfish, Xiphias gladius, and striped bass, Roccus saxatilis, are reported to eat lampreys. During the marine interval, which lasts from 23 to 28 mo, the calculated instantaneous growth rate is 0.645–0.785 g∙d−1. Lamprey scarring frequency on Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, in the St. John River, New Brunswick, increased from 2.6 to 15.0% between 1972 and 1975 coincident with a dramatic rise in the number of migrant salmonids. Scars were most prevalent on larger salmon, particularly females. Most scars were recorded on the right side of salmon, particularly in the ventral regions.Key words: sea lamprey, Atlantic Ocean, distribution, life cycle, growth, energetics, fecundity

Population ecology of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) as an invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes and an imperiled species in Europe

“…Following completion of their 1-2 year-long marine trophic phase (Beamish 1980;Silva et al 2013a, b), anadromous adult sea lampreys migrate upstream to river stretches where they build nests, spawn, and die (Larsen 1980;Moser et al 2015). Passage from sea to fresh water is a stressful stage of migration, so adults use estuaries to acclimate from salt-water to freshwater osmoregulation (Bartels and Potter 2007).…”

Comparison of the fatty acid profile of muscle neutral lipids and phospholipids of up-river anadromous sea lamprey (<i>Petromyzon marinus</i> L.) from three Portuguese river basins

“…this is a non-trophic period during which lamprey utilises the lipid reserves accumulated in the larval phase (Bird and Potter, 1983). Juvenile lampreys then migrate downstream to the sea, where they begin the parasitic stage of their life cycle, feeding primarily on blood and muscle tissue of marine and anadromous fish for at least 24 months (Beamish, 1980). this marine phase is accompanied by the deposition of large amounts of lipids, particularly in the musculature, the main store depot for these energy reserves (Sheridan, 1988), which act as the primary energy source during upstream spawning migration (Bird et al, 1993).…”

Sea LampreyPetromyzon marinusBiology and Management Across Their Native and Invasive Ranges: Promoting Conservation by Knowledge Transfer

“…Due to their evolutionary significance, lampreys have been intensively studied since the early of 19th century (e.g., Beamish, 1980;Teeter, 1980), with substantial prog-90 ress in the context of phylogeny and paleontology (e.g., Lamb et al, 2007), embryology (e.g., Kuratani et al, 2002),…”

“…Adults return from the sea to freshwater 145 between March and December when temperatures are between 10 and 19 C, with earlier migrations tending to occur at lower latitudes (Beamish, 1980;Malmqvist, 1980a;Andrade et al, 2007;Beaulaton et al, 2008). The adults are capable of migrating hundreds of kilometers 150 upstream into freshwater to find suitable spawning habitat, during which they do not feed (Beamish, 1980;Hardisty and Potter, 1971b); thus, migration, gonad maturation and spawning rely on energy reserves developed in the marine life phase (Beamish, 1980;Hansen et al, 155 2016).…”

“…The larvae-ammocoetes-then have a relatively sedentary and extended (»five to eight years) life stage (Beamish, 1980;Malmqvist, 1980b). Ammocoetes gener-160 ally remain in the silt in areas of water below 2 m depth (e.g., Lasne et al, 2010;Taverny et al, 2012).…”