Western Brook Lamprey (Lampetra richardsoni)
Identification: Nearly cylindrical to the dorsal fins. Adults can be brown to olive, or black on the upper surfaces, paler below. The caudal fin is marked with diffuse black pigment. Tooth bar immediately above mouth has two teeth which are blunt and poorly developed. Center pair of side teeth have two points. Adult length usually to 154 mm.
Life History: Found in freshwater streams along western North America. Spawns from late April to early July. Nests are constructed in coarse gravel and sand at the head of a riffle. A single nest may contain as many as 12 spawning individuals at one time, and may be utilized by several different groups over the entire spawning period. Fecundity ranges from 1100 to 3700 eggs per female. Adults usually die shortly after spawning. After hatching, juveniles burrow in the silt at the stream margin.
Feeding: Nonparastic. The adults do not feed at all and their intestine is degenerate.
References:
Scott, W and Crossman, E. 1973. Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada. Bulletin 184. Ottawa, Ontario.
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