Biology and situation of the Northern Brook lamprey, Ichthyomyzon Fossor, Quebec

Fortin, Christian; Ouellet, Martin; Cartier, Isabelle; Banville, Daniel; Renaud, Claude B.

Biology and situation of the Northern Brook lamprey, Ichthyomyzon Fossor, Quebec | Biologie et situation de la Lamproie du Nord, Ichthyomyzon fossor, au Québec

2007

Fortin, Christian | Ouellet, Martin | Cartier, Isabelle | Banville, Daniel | Renaud, Claude B.

The Northern Brook Lamprey is endemic to North America. In Quebec, it is restricted to the southernmost part of the province. This lamprey is known from the St. Lawrence River as well as in 11 of its tributaries. It appears to have been extirpated from the Yamaska River where it was collected between 1946 and 1959. It is a nonparasitic fish and its adult size does not usually exceed 160 mm. Larvae, called ammocoetes, and adults are found only in fresh water. Watercourses where it occurs are generally streams and rivers with gravel or sandy bottoms. The Northern Brook Lamprey requires two types of habitats during its life cycle, one for spawning adults and one, along the same watercourse, for the developing ammocoete. Habitat degradation and water pollution are the major threats to the survival of lampreys. The low fecundity and low dispersal abilities of the Northern Brook Lamprey make this species poorly adapted to withstand changes in its environment.

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