Carpathian lamprey (Eudontomyzon danfordi)

Scientific name: Eudontomyzon danfordi Regan, 1911

Carpathian lamprey (Eudontomyzon danfordi)

The Carpathian lamprey (Eudontomyzon danfordi) is a freshwater fish of the family Petromyzontidae. Native range: Europe, Danube drainage: endemic to tributaries of the upper reaches of the Danube River.

Biology

Inhabits piedmont and montane zones in clear, well oxygenated brooks. Ammocoetes live in detritus-rich sands or clay sediments. Ammocoetes feed on detritus and insect larvae; this stage lasts for 3.5-4.5 years. Metamorphosis usually starts in July - August and lasts for 1-5 months. Adults feed on the blood and flesh of both living and dead fish. They migrate upstream to the upper reaches of brooks during spawning time in spring. The adult phase lasts 17-21 months. They spawn 2,000-3,000 eggs per female and it seems likely that the majority dies afterwards. Adults were used as food in Romania. Also used as live bait.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Eudontomyzon danfordi
Family
Petromyzontidae (Lampreys)
Order
Petromyzontiformes (Lampreys)
Class
Cephalaspidomorphi (Lampreys)
Maximum length
30.0
Common length
18.0
Environment
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Europe: Danube drainage: endemic to tributaries of the upper reaches of the Danube River.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; bait: occasionally
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tmax=tm=7.3; Fec=7,500)

Sources

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

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