Caspian lamprey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Caspian lamprey |
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The Caspian lamprey (Caspiomyzon wagneri) is a unique type of lamprey that makes its home in the Caspian Sea. It belongs to the Petromyzontidae family, which includes many different lamprey species. This particular lamprey does not feed on other living animals. Instead, it eats animal carcasses, meaning it is not parasitic.
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What Does the Caspian Lamprey Look Like?
The Caspian lamprey has a long, slim body, much like an eel. It can grow to about 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long. The biggest one ever found was 55 centimeters (about 22 inches) long and weighed 206 grams (about 7 ounces).
Special Features
Like all lampreys, it does not have jaws. Instead, it has a round mouth called an oral disc. Inside this disc are many tiny, backward-pointing teeth arranged in rows. It has only one nostril, which is located near its eyes.
You won't see any gill covers on this fish. Instead, it has seven visible gill openings right behind its head. The Caspian lamprey also does not have scales or paired fins, like the fins on a regular fish. However, it does have two long fins on its back. The one closer to its tail almost connects to its small tail fin. Its body is a shiny silvery-grey color.
Where Does the Caspian Lamprey Live?
The Caspian lamprey is an anadromous fish. This means it spends its adult life in the Caspian Sea. But when it's time to lay eggs, it travels. It migrates up rivers like the Volga and Sura to find suitable places to spawn.
Past and Present
Long ago, the Caspian lamprey was very common. People used to catch millions of them every year in the lower Volga River. They would use the lampreys for fish oil, to make candles, and even for food. In the early 1900s, between 15 and 30 million lampreys were caught annually from the lower Volga.
Today, this fish is not as common. Its journey to spawning grounds has been blocked by dams and other building projects on the rivers. This makes it hard for them to reach the places where they lay their eggs.
Why Is the Caspian Lamprey Important?
The Caspian lamprey is currently listed as "Near Threatened" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means it could become endangered if efforts are not made to protect it.
Threats to Survival
In the middle of the 20th century, many rivers were dammed. This cut off the lampreys from their usual spawning areas. However, they found new places to lay eggs below these dams. More recently, a big problem has been droughts. These dry periods cause the streams where they spawn to dry up, making it even harder for the lampreys to reproduce successfully. Protecting these unique fish and their habitats is important for the health of the Caspian Sea ecosystem.
