Silver lamprey (Ichthyomyzon unicuspis)

Scientific name: Ichthyomyzon unicuspis Hubbs & Trautman, 1937

Silver lamprey (Ichthyomyzon unicuspis)

The Silver lamprey (Ichthyomyzon unicuspis) is a freshwater fish of the family Petromyzontidae.

Biology

Feeding adults are usually found attached to other fishes in large rivers, lakes, and impoundments. They migrate upriver to spawn in gravel riffles and runs. Ammocoetes occur in sandy or muddy pools and backwaters where they stay as larvae for about 4 to 7 years. Adults are parasitic for 1 to 2 years. Semelparous. Listed as anadromous species in.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Ichthyomyzon unicuspis
Family
Petromyzontidae (Lampreys)
Order
Petromyzontiformes (Lampreys)
Class
Cephalaspidomorphi (Lampreys)
Maximum length
39.0
Common length
20.1
Environment
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
North America: Mississippi drainage and the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay and the St. Lawrence River. Readily distinguishable from the sea lamprey by its single dorsal fin.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Bait: occasionally
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tmax=8; tm=6; Fec=10,800)

Sources

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

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