Geographic Range
Northern brook lamprey are found in many areas of the midwestern and northeastern
United States, including the Mississippi River drainage in Wisconsin, northeastern
Illinois, and northern Indiana, and in parts of Canada. They are also found in a Lake
Erie tributary in New York and certain tributaries of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec,
Canada.
Habitat
The habitat of northern brook lamprey varies throughout the life cycle. Adults are
generally found in areas of rapidly flowing water above a very coarse bed, spawning
and then laying eggs in crevices beneath rocks and boulders. Ammocoetes (larvae) are
generally found in the the calmer waters of brook, stream and river side channels
where there is fine sediment or organic debris in which to burrow.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- freshwater
- Aquatic Biomes
- rivers and streams
Physical Description
Northern brook lamprey appear very similar throughout their life cycle. This species
has a continuous dorsal fin that may or may not be divided by a small notch and is
connected to a round, short caudal fin. Individuals are grayish brown dorsally with
a pale median line down the back and a lighter ventral side, with the posterior end
darker in color (almost black). There are a few differences between ammocoetes and
adults: ammocoetes have neither eyes nor a sucking disk mouth (they have a hooded
mouth instead). Adults have eyes and disk-shaped mouths with small, poorly developed
teeth. Once adults are of breeding age it is possible to differentiate between the
sexes (males have a urogenital papilla and females have an enlarged post-anal fold).
- Other Physical Features
- ectothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- female larger
Development
Northern brook lamprey have two developmental stages: ammocoete (larval) and adult.
Larvae hatch approximately 2 weeks after egg fertilization and drift downstream before
burrowing into the substrate. Once settled in burrows, larvae feed on suspended algae,
bacteria and other detrius for 5-6 years until they metamorphose into non-feeding
juveniles, typically in the fall. The transformation process lasts for 2-3 months.
Juveniles spend 4-6 months drifting until spring, when spawning occurs and they become
sexually mature adults. Adults die shortly after spawning.
- Development - Life Cycle
- metamorphosis
Reproduction
During mating, 3-7 northern brook lamprey will build a nest together and spawn in
groups of 10-30. Once eggs are fertilized and laid they are often covered with the
substrate surrounding the nest.
- Mating System
- polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Northern brook lamprey spawn in the spring at approximately 6 years of age, just after
reaching sexual maturity. Females lay thousands of eggs, possibly due to high mortality
rates during the early stages of the species' life cycle. Eggs hatch 2-4 weeks after
fertilization.
Spawning is initiated when water temperatures are between 13 and 20.5°C. Males begin
nest building by moving stones and gravel to create a small dip in the substrate within
shallow, pool-riffle, high-gradient stretches of streams.
During spawning, these lampreys coil together in groups of 3 to 7 individuals before
going into the nest. Once in the nest a male attaches to, but does not wrap around,
a female (as in some other lamprey species) to complete egg fertilization. Adults
then leave the nest and die soon thereafter.
- Key Reproductive Features
- semelparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- oviparous
There is no parental investment by adults of this species as they die soon after egg
fertilization.
- Parental Investment
- no parental involvement
Lifespan/Longevity
Northern brook lamprey typically live for 5-8 years in the wild, dying within a few
days of reaching sexual maturity and completing mating. There is no data available
regarding captive lifespan.
Behavior
Northern brook lamprey are solitary outside of breeding season. This species is also
mainly sessile, spending the first 4-6 years of its life in a burrow until they complete
metamorphosis.
- Key Behaviors
- natatorial
- motile
- sedentary
- solitary
Home Range
No information is currently available regarding the home range of this species.
Communication and Perception
Although ammocoetes are blind, adult Northern brook lamprey have small eyes. This
species also has a lateral line through which the fish may sense vibrations.
- Perception Channels
- visual
- tactile
- vibrations
- chemical
Food Habits
Northern brook lamprey only feed as ammocoetes. During this time, they feed mainly
on organic detrius, diatoms, desmids, protozoans, algae and pollen.
- Primary Diet
-
herbivore
- algivore
- detritivore
- Plant Foods
- pollen
- algae
- Other Foods
- detritus
- microbes
- Foraging Behavior
- filter-feeding
Predation
This species is prey for many larger fish throughout its life. While eggs and ammocoetes
are particularly vulnerable, adults may be consumed as well. Known predators include
rainbow trout, rock bass and brown trout.
Ecosystem Roles
Although morthern brook lamprey often share habitat with mayfly nymphs and small mussels,
there is little evidence that there is any competition amongst these species. Unlike
many lamprey species, this species is non-parasitic. There is currently no research
available regarding parasites of northern brook lamprey.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Although there is little known positive impact of northern brook lamprey on humans,
fishermen do occasionally use this species as bait
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse effects of northern brook lamprey on humans.
Conservation Status
The Minnesota DNR lists northern brook lamprey as a species of special concern. In
order to keep game fish populations high and parasitic sea lamprey populations low,
a lampricide treatment is put into streams and rivers where many lamprey, including
non-parasitic northern brook lamprey, reside. This lampricide, among other poisons
and pollutants, is adversely affecting population size. There is not currently a direct
management/conservation plan in place for this species.
Additional Links
Contributors
Bronte Karvel-Fuller (author), Minnesota State University, Mankato, Robert Sorensen (editor), Minnesota State University, Mankato.
- Nearctic
-
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- freshwater
-
mainly lives in water that is not salty.
- ectothermic
-
animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- metamorphosis
-
A large change in the shape or structure of an animal that happens as the animal grows. In insects, "incomplete metamorphosis" is when young animals are similar to adults and change gradually into the adult form, and "complete metamorphosis" is when there is a profound change between larval and adult forms. Butterflies have complete metamorphosis, grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis.
- polygynandrous
-
the kind of polygamy in which a female pairs with several males, each of which also pairs with several different females.
- semelparous
-
offspring are all produced in a single group (litter, clutch, etc.), after which the parent usually dies. Semelparous organisms often only live through a single season/year (or other periodic change in conditions) but may live for many seasons. In both cases reproduction occurs as a single investment of energy in offspring, with no future chance for investment in reproduction.
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- external fertilization
-
fertilization takes place outside the female's body
- oviparous
-
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
- natatorial
-
specialized for swimming
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- solitary
-
lives alone
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- vibrations
-
movements of a hard surface that are produced by animals as signals to others
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- detritus
-
particles of organic material from dead and decomposing organisms. Detritus is the result of the activity of decomposers (organisms that decompose organic material).
- filter-feeding
-
a method of feeding where small food particles are filtered from the surrounding water by various mechanisms. Used mainly by aquatic invertebrates, especially plankton, but also by baleen whales.
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- detritivore
-
an animal that mainly eats decomposed plants and/or animals
References
Cumley, R. 1969. Fisherman's Guide to Minnesota Fishes . Houston, Texas: Professional Publication Producers.
Dickson, T., J. Tomelleri. 2008. The great Minnesota fish book . Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Felbaum, M. 2007. "Northern Brook Lamprey" (On-line pdf). Accessed April 02, 2012 at http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/factsheets/11247.pdf .
Hubbs, C., K. Lagler. 1958. Fishes of the Great Lakes Region . Bloomfield Hills, Michigan: Cranbrook Institute of Science.
Loan-Wilsey, A. 2012. "Iowa Fish Atlas: Northern brook lamprey-Ichthyomyzon fossor" (On-line). Accessed April 02, 2012 at http://maps.gis.iastate.edu/iris/fishatlas/IA159726.html .
Neave, F., N. Mandrak, M. Docker, D. Noakes. 2007. An attempt to differentiate sympatric Ichthyomyzon ammocoetes using meristic, morphological, pigmentation, and gonad analyses. Canadian Journal of Zoology , 85: "549-560".
Phillips, G., W. Schmid, J. Underhill. 1982. Fishes of the Minnesota Region . Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press.
Potter, I., F. Beamish. 1975. Lethal Temperatures in Ammocoetes of Four Species of Lampreys. Zoologica , 56: "85-91".
Simon, T. 2006. Biodiversity of fishes in the Wabash River: Status, indicators, and threats. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Sciences , 115/2: 136-148. Accessed October 27, 2012 at http://www.indianaacademyofscience.org/Documents/Proceedings/V115/PIAS_v115_n2_p136-148.aspx .
Yap, M., S. Bowen. 2003. Feeding by Northern Brook Lamprey ( Ichthyomyzon fossor ) on Sestonic Biofil Fragment: Habitat Selection Results in Ingestion of a Higher Quality Diet. Journal of Great Lakes Research , 29/1: "15-25".
Commitee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Assesment and Update Status Report on the northern brook lamprey Ichthyomyzon fossor. Canada: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. 2007. Accessed April 24, 2012 at http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2007/ec/CW69-14-520-2007E.pdf .
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2012. "Ichthyomyzon fossor: Northern Brook Lamprey" (On-line). Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Accessed April 02, 2012 at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/rsg/profile.html?action=elementDetail&selectedElement=AFBAA01030 .
2010. "The Northern Brook Lamprey (Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence)…a Species at Risk" (On-line). Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Accessed April 02, 2012 at http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/species-especes/lamprey-lamproie-eng.htm .