Mountain brook lamprey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mountain brook lamprey |
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The mountain brook lamprey (Ichthyomyzon greeleyi) is a unique type of fish. It is found in parts of the Mississippi River basin, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. You can also find it in the Cumberland River and Tennessee River.
This fish is special because it doesn't have jaws. Instead, it has a small sucker mouth. Its body is long and looks a bit like an eel. The mountain brook lamprey is quite small, usually growing to about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long.
Unlike some other lampreys, the mountain brook lamprey is non-parasitic. This means it does not attach itself to larger fish to feed. Scientists believe it evolved from the parasitic Ohio lamprey (I. bdellium).
Non-parasitic lampreys need two different types of habitats. These habitats must be connected by streams without dams. Adult lampreys live in clear brooks with fast-flowing water. These areas usually have sand or gravel bottoms. Young lampreys, called ammocoetes, live in slow-moving water. They bury themselves in the soft mud of medium to large streams.
When they are young larvae, lampreys eat tiny bits of dead plants and animals, called detritus, and algae. After they change into adults, they stop eating. They get their energy from fat they stored when they were young. Lampreys usually lay their eggs from late April to early May.
Geographic Distribution
The mountain brook lamprey lives in different areas of the Mississippi basin. You can find populations in New York, Pennsylvania, and nearby parts of Ohio. They also live in the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. These rivers are in Tennessee, northern Alabama, Kentucky, and Virginia.
In New York State, this lamprey lives in French Creek. It is also found in other northern and central parts of the Allegheny basin. The mountain brook lamprey prefers clean, clear streams. It likes areas with gravelly riffles and sandy runs. It also lives in sandy, muddy, or debris-filled pools and quiet backwaters. This lamprey spends its whole life in creeks and does not move to larger rivers.
Life Cycle
Mountain brook lampreys usually lay their eggs in late May. This happens when the water temperature reaches about 18.9 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit). The male lampreys build nests just above fast-flowing areas called riffles. They choose spots in about 30 centimeters (1 foot) of water.
The male builds the nest near a flat stone that is about 15 to 30 centimeters (6 to 12 inches) wide. He digs a small hole by moving small stones and pebbles. The nest becomes a shallow dip, about 5 centimeters (2 inches) deep and 20 to 25 centimeters (8 to 10 inches) wide. The bottom of the nest is made of fine gravel and sand.
When a female lamprey moves over a nest, she attaches herself to a rock. Then, spawning begins. When one pair starts laying eggs, it often encourages other pairs to begin as well. Mountain brook lampreys live for about five or six years. They usually die soon after they have laid their eggs.
The life of a lamprey has two main stages: the larval stage (ammocoete) and the adult stage. Unlike parasitic lampreys, non-parasitic ones like the mountain brook lamprey do not have a separate juvenile stage.
The young lampreys, or ammocoetes, live a quiet life. They stay buried in the sandy mud at the bottom of cool streams. They eat plants and other small bits of food. The color of the mountain brook lamprey does not change much throughout its life. It ranges from a butterscotch to an olive brown color. Their backs are usually darker than their sides and undersides. They also have scattered dark spots along their upper sides.
The change from a larva to an adult, called metamorphosis, starts between early and mid-August. This process takes about 100 to 140 days for mountain brook lamprey populations in places like Bent Creek, Cane Creek, and Davidson River. During metamorphosis, these lampreys do not feed. They maintain their body size by taking in water.
Conservation Status
Globally, the mountain brook lamprey is considered "Apparently secure." This means it is not currently in immediate danger. Its numbers seem stable in the short term. However, over a longer period, there has been a decline of 30-70% in some areas. Some populations have even disappeared completely.
In 10 states, the mountain brook lamprey is seen as vulnerable, imperiled, or critically imperiled. The biggest reasons for this decline are habitat destruction. This includes problems caused by dams, pollution, and too much silt building up in their streams. Protecting their clean stream habitats is very important for their future.
