Brook Lamprey

[Jim Ford]

At Ober Moor near Brockenhurst.

Not easy to photograph, as it was very active. Shame I couldn't get the head!



I think it's a first for the forum.

Jim

[Dorts]

Wonderfull to see Jim. They were so common when I was a lad in N Hants, in brooks and streams.
Not seen one for best part of 30 years. Great to know they are still about.
Used to watch groups of them for ages as they moved stones about the bed of the stream, making places for egg-laying apparently.

Thanks for that.
Dorts.

[earthdragon64]

What a coincidence, I saw 3 Lampreys on Friday afternoon in a stream that runs through Aviemore to the river Spey.









Do either of you know if they are Brook Lamprey or River Lamprey, or what the differences are, and what is the red part of the fin on one of them?

I've been trying to track down a site I can use to tell the 2 species apart, but no luck so far.

Regards, Audrey.

[Fauna]

I was lucky to work at a place that had landlocked Sea and River Lampreys. Did a small survey with help from the fishermen/women, found plenty of Sea a few River but never got see a Brook.

Audrey. Here is a pdf file with a lot of info about our Lampreys and how to tell them apart. It is a lot of reading but i'm sure it will all be interesting.

http://www.mulkearlife.com/Userfiles/lamprey-ecolgy.pdf

Regards Chris...

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by earthdragon64

I've been trying to track down a site I can use to tell the 2 species apart, but no luck so far.

Regards, Audrey.

Audrey, there are three species of Lamprey in Britain: Brook - Lampetra planeri, River - L. fluviatilis and Sea - Petromyzon marinus.

The only way I know to identify is by size. The Brook L., the smallest of the three British species is about 13–15 cm/5-6" long. I think I'm about right to say that the River Lamprey is at least twice that size, (over a foot long), if that helps.
Dorts.

[earthdragon64]

Originally Posted by Fauna

I was lucky to work at a place that had landlocked Sea and River Lampreys. Did a small survey with help from the fishermen/women, found plenty of Sea a few River but never got see a Brook.

Audrey. Here is a pdf file with a lot of info about our Lampreys and how to tell them apart. It is a lot of reading but i'm sure it will all be interesting.

http://www.mulkearlife.com/Userfiles/lamprey-ecolgy.pdf

Regards Chris...

Thanks Chris, that's a very useful document and just the sort of thing I was looking for. I've only had time for a quick look, but I'm pretty sure my photos are of Brook Lamprey, the size is right as is the shape of the rear fin.

Originally Posted by Dorts

Audrey, there are three species of Lamprey in Britain: Brook - Lampetra planeri, River - L. fluviatilis and Sea - Petromyzon marinus.

The only way I know to identify is by size. The Brook L., the smallest of the three British species is about 13–15 cm/5-6" long. I think I'm about right to say that the River Lamprey is at least twice that size, (over a foot long), if that helps.
Dorts.

These were about 6" long, so combined with the information from Chris, I'm pretty sure they are Brook Lamprey.

Thanks to you both.

Regards, Audrey.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Great stuff folks. Lampreys are on my 'too see' list

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Fauna

I was lucky to work at a place that had landlocked Sea and River Lampreys. Did a small survey with help from the fishermen/women, found plenty of Sea a few River but never got see a Brook.

Sea Lampreys are a huge problem in the Great Lakes:

Great Lakes Fishery Commission -- Sea Lamprey Control

"During its life as a parasite, each sea lamprey can kill 40 or more pounds of fish."

Jim

[Fauna]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Sea Lampreys are a huge problem in the Great Lakes:

Great Lakes Fishery Commission -- Sea Lamprey Control

"During its life as a parasite, each sea lamprey can kill 40 or more pounds of fish."

Jim

Yes, i can remember reading up on this...was trying to work out how these lampreys where surviving and getting into the water. The water is at a famous Pike water known as Llandegfedd.

Few people knew about the lampreys (except for some of the fishermen of course) and those that did thought they where mostly River lampreys, except for one report i've read saying that 2 Sea lampreys where taking from fish. When i did the small survey the majority turned out to be Sea lamprey.

There are a few thoughts of how they got there...Where they in the brook when the dam went up? Pike fishermen brought them in for Pike bait? The eggs are getting in from the Usk when they pump the water in? Or a combination of all or some of the three main suggestions.

The water is stocked with 25.000 rainbows a year, there is a huge head of Bream and variuos other coarse fish. There is also the Pike, the Pike have depleted in numbers...are the Lampreys having an effect on them, is it just a "natural cycle" they are going through, or is the aquarium released Sturgeon that has been seen following the Pike around at spawning times dinning on the eggs?

A fascinating water.

Regards Chris