Alaskan brook lamprey (Lampetra alaskensis)

Scientific name: Lampetra alaskensis Vladykov & Kott, 1978

The Alaskan brook lamprey (Lampetra alaskensis) is a freshwater fish of the family Petromyzontidae. Native range: North America, Alaska and Kenai peninsulas to Chatanika and Chena rivers near Fairbanks; Martin River, Mackenzie River basin, Northwest Territories.

Biology

Adult preserved specimens gray-brown dorsally, white ventrally, with a dark blotch on 2nd dorsal fin; tail dark. Teeth on disk blunt and weakly cornified. Supraoral bar with 2 cusps. Infraoral bar with 6-11 cusps. Lateral tooth plates 3, central pair with 2 cusps. Tongue teeth poorly developed and blunt. Posterial teeth present. A few, supplementary marginal teeth present on the lateral areas of the disk. Typical length 12-17 cm TL. Trunk myomeres 66-72.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Lampetra alaskensis
Family
Petromyzontidae (Lampreys)
Order
Petromyzontiformes (Lampreys)
Class
Cephalaspidomorphi (Lampreys)
Maximum length
18.8
Environment
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
North America: Alaska and Kenai peninsulas to Chatanika and Chena rivers near Fairbanks; Martin River, Mackenzie River basin, Northwest Territories.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tm=tmax=5)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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