Ohio lamprey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ohio lamprey |
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The Ohio lamprey (Ichthyomyzon bdellium) is a unique type of lamprey. It lives in the Ohio River area in the United States. This lamprey is known for being a parasite. This means it attaches to other fish to get its food.
Sadly, the Ohio lamprey is rare or endangered in some states. This is because of things like siltation (when dirt builds up in rivers), pollution, and the building of dams. These changes make it hard for the lamprey to live.
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What is an Ohio Lamprey?
All lampreys have a long body, a bit like an eel. They do not have any scales. You can see muscle sections along their body. These are called myomeres. Lampreys also have a mouth without a jaw.
Young Lampreys: Ammocoetes
When Ohio lampreys are young, they are called ammocoetes. At this stage, their mouth is very small. It is hidden by folds of skin. Their mouth is not fully grown yet.
Adult Lampreys
Adult Ohio lampreys have a special mouth. It is shaped like a disk. This disk has many teeth. The number of teeth can be different for each lamprey species. The Ohio lamprey has one long fin on its back. This fin runs along its body without a break. Fully grown, Ohio lampreys are usually 10 to 14 inches long. Some can even grow up to 15 inches!
What Do Ohio Lampreys Eat?
The diet of the Ohio lamprey changes as it grows.
Ammocoetes Diet
When they are young ammocoetes, Ohio lampreys are filter feeders. They eat tiny things from the water. This includes plankton, algae, and other small bits of organic matter. They filter these tiny particles from the water.
Adult Lamprey Diet
As adults, Ohio lampreys become parasitic. They attach themselves to larger fish. Some of their favorite hosts include smallmouth bass, walleyes, redhorse suckers, and trout. Once attached, they feed on the host fish's blood and other body fluids.
It seems that Ohio lampreys do not usually kill the fish they feed on. They have lived alongside these fish for a long time. Because of this, they do not seem to harm the overall numbers of their host fish.
Ohio Lamprey Reproduction
When Ohio lampreys are ready to have babies, they look for good places to breed. They probably do not go back to the exact spot where they were born. However, scientists are still studying this.
Spawning Season
Spawning happens in late May or early June. This is when the adult lampreys lay their eggs. They often work together in pairs to build a nest. They choose spots in rivers where the water flows at a medium speed. These spots are called riffles.
Building a Nest
Ohio lampreys use their suction cup-like mouth to move rocks. They clear out a small pit in the riverbed. After this, the female lamprey lays her eggs into this pit. This happens after mating. After spawning, all the adult Ohio lampreys will die.
Where Do Ohio Lampreys Live?
The Ohio lamprey lives across the Ohio River basin. You can find them in 11 different states:
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
The Ohio lamprey used to live in Illinois. But now, it is considered extirpated there. This means it no longer exists in Illinois. The last time one was seen there was in 1918.
