European brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri)

Scientific name: Lampetra planeri Bloch, 1784

The European brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri) is a freshwater fish of the family Petromyzontidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 1–15°C (34–59°F).

European brook lamprey care at a glance

Temperature: 1–15°C (34–59°F)

Biology

Found in the lowland, piedmont and montane zone in clear, well oxygenated brooks. Lives exclusively in freshwater; in middle and upper reaches of small streams and rivers, occasionally in lakes. Larvae lie buried in the substrate while adults live in the open water. Larvae of this species can serve as mid-term bio-indicators. They live in detritus-rich sands or clay sediments. Filter feeding larvae, non-feeding adults. Reproduction takes place upstream, from April to May. Because of its small size and the mediocre quality of its meat, it is rarely fished. The larvae are utilized as bait.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Lampetra planeri
Family: Petromyzontidae (Lampreys)
Order: Petromyzontiformes (Lampreys)
Class: Cephalaspidomorphi (Lampreys)
Maximum length: 20.0
Common length: 16.0
Environment: Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Europe: Great Britain north to Scottish highlands, rivers draining to North Sea north to Scotland and about Stavanger, Baltic Sea basin, Atlantic as far south as Adour drainage and isolated populations in Sado, Tagus and Douro drainages, Mediterranean basin in France and western Italy. Locally in Ireland, upper Volga, upper Danube and some of their tributaries and Pescara drainage on Adriatic coast of Italy. Appendix III of the Bern Convention.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: public aquariums; bait: usually
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.16; tm=6-7; tmax=7; Fec=800 (semelparous))