Southern brook lamprey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern brook lamprey |
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Ichthyomyzon
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I. gagei
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| Ichthyomyzon gagei C. L. Hubbs & Trautman, 1937
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The southern brook lamprey (Ichthyomyzon gagei) is a special type of lamprey fish. It lives in rivers and streams across the Southern United States, including states like Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. This fish is unique because it doesn't have jaws. Instead, it has a sucking mouth, a bit like a leech. It's often mistaken for a small eel because it's usually less than 1 foot long.
Unlike some other lampreys, the southern brook lamprey does not feed on other fish. It's a non-parasitic fish. It needs very specific types of water homes to survive and grow. These lampreys are found from Florida and Georgia, along the Gulf Coast, all the way west to Oklahoma and Texas. They have even been seen as far north as Minnesota and Wisconsin.
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Where the Southern Brook Lamprey Lives
The southern brook lamprey lives in slow-moving rivers and streams. You can find them from Florida to southern Mississippi, Georgia, and Arkansas. They also live west towards Oklahoma and Texas. Surprisingly, they have been seen much farther north in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
For example, these lampreys have been reported in the Chattahoochee River system in Alabama and Georgia. They also live in the Sabine River system in Texas and Louisiana. Other homes include the Illinois River system in Oklahoma and the Neches River system in Texas. Scientists once thought they only lived in the South. But findings in Wisconsin and Minnesota showed they live in northern rivers too.
What the Southern Brook Lamprey Eats and Who Eats It
The southern brook lamprey's diet changes as it grows. When it's a young lamprey, called a larva, it mostly eats tiny bits of dead plants and animals. These tiny pieces are called organic detritus. Studies on similar lampreys show their stomachs are full of these tiny bits. They also eat a small amount of algae and bacteria.
Once the lamprey changes into an adult, it stops eating completely! It uses the fat it stored up when it was a larva for energy. Its digestive system actually shrinks and stops working.
Many animals like to eat southern brook lampreys. Their eggs are eaten by different kinds of fish and crayfish. Young lampreys are food for many fish and birds. Adult lampreys can be eaten by bigger fish. These include the Northern pike, perch, European chub, and the mudpuppy. The southern brook lamprey shares its home with other fish too. These include shiners, the longnose dace, Johnny darters, and mottled sculpins.
The Life Cycle of the Southern Brook Lamprey
The southern brook lamprey has two main stages in its life: the larval stage and the adult stage. Each stage needs a different kind of home.
Larval Stage
During the larval stage, young lampreys live in slow-moving water. They need a sandy bottom. The sand is very important because the lamprey burrows into it. It uses its mouth to hold onto the sand. The lamprey also makes a special tube with mucus from its body. This tube helps it breathe and keeps its burrow strong. The sand needs to be just right. It needs a mix of small and large grains. This allows enough water to flow through the burrow for the lamprey to breathe. If there's too much fine mud, it's hard to breathe. If there's too much coarse sand, it's hard to build the burrow. This larval stage usually lasts about three years.
Metamorphosis and Adult Stage
After the larval stage, the lamprey goes through a big change called metamorphosis. It transforms into an adult. Adult lampreys move to deeper, faster-moving water. They hide in cracks and spaces between large rocks. As adults, they don't eat. They use the energy they stored as larvae.
Adult lampreys gather together to lay eggs, which is called spawning. This usually happens between April and May. They find special shallow areas with rocky bottoms. The water temperature needs to be between 17 and 21 degrees Celsius (63 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Each female lamprey can lay between 800 and 2,500 eggs. After spawning, the adult lampreys die. Sometimes, they even use shallow areas under bridges to lay their eggs. This might help hide them from animals that want to eat them.
Protecting the Southern Brook Lamprey
The southern brook lamprey is currently listed as a species of "least concern." This means scientists are not worried about it disappearing right now. It's not on any endangered species lists in the U.S. or internationally. There are no specific laws or plans just for protecting this lamprey.
The biggest danger to the southern brook lamprey is when humans change its habitat. Things like pollution or changing river beds can harm their homes. To keep these lampreys safe, we need to protect and restore their special habitats. The water temperature, the type of sand or rocks, and the water quality must be just right for them to live and reproduce successfully.
