Ichthyomyzon castaneus

Chestnut Lamprey

Type Locality

Galena, Minnesota (Girard 1858).

Etymology/Derivation of Scientific Name

Ichthyomyzon, Greek, “sucker of fish”; castaneus, Greek, “of chestnut color.” (Pflieger 1997).

Synonymy

Ichthyomyzon castaneus Girard 1858:381 in C.L. Hubbs and Potter 1971; Suckley 1860 in Smith 1979; Hubbs and Trautman 1937; Cook 1959:44.

Characters

Maximum size: 380 mm TL (Carlander 1969).

Coloration: Juveniles and adults are dark grey to brown along the back, becoming lighter on the belly. The sides may be mottled or slate colored. After spawning the coloration is more bluish black. Ammocoetes are gray along the back with lighter undersides; usually have pigmentation under the eyes and in front of the gill region. The lateral line pores are generally unpigmented in the ammocoetes, juveniles, and adults, but becomes progressively darker in larger individuals (Ross 2001).

Counts: 51-54 (47-56) myomeres; 2-3 (1-4) supraoral cusps; 6-11 infraoral cusps; 3-5 anterior teeth, and 6-9 (6-11) lateral teeth (Ross 2001).

Body shape: In southern members of this species, the body is less deep, eye smaller, and snout longer than those in the more northerly part of range (Knapp 1951). Adults with well developed intestine (Hubbs et al. 1991). Inner lateral (circumoral) teeth are bicuspid (Ross 2001).

Mouth position: Subterminal in both ammocoete and adult (Goldstein and Simon 1999).

External morphology: Disc large; length of disc contained 14.3 times in total length; cusps in posterior field not degenerate (Hubbs et al. 1991). Dorsal fin continuous, except for a small notch; dorsal fin height increases several fold after metamorphosis. Mature males develop an elongate urogenital papilla (Ross 2001).

Distribution (Native and Introduced)

U.S. distribution: West central Manitoba along Red River of the North, and in the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes southward to Mobile Bay (Hubbs et al. 1991).

Texas distribution: This parasitic species occurs in east Texas streams of the Red, Sabine, and Neches basins (Hubbs et al.1991; Warren et al. 2000). Toole (1950) noted a parasitic lamprey provisionally identified as I. castaneus, was sent to him by Paul Whaley of Marshall, who caught it in Caddo Lake (on the Texas-Louisiana border in the Red River watershed). Two immature specimens were sent to Texas A&M College; the larger specimen (Cat. No. A-1-b-3, spec. No.1) measuring 165.6 mm TL, found by Wayman V. Wilson of Atlanta, Texas, on a chain pickerel (Esox niger) caught by him in Smith Slough, Caddo Lake, March 13, 1950; the smaller specimen (Cat. No. A-1-b-2, spec. No.1) measuring 141.0 mm TL, taken by Paul Whaley of Marshall, TX, caught on a bass in Caddo Lake, TX, March 20, 1950 (Knapp 1951).

Abundance/Conservation status (Federal, State, NGO)

Not listed as threatened or endangered by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

(2006). Populations in the southern United States are currently secure (Warren et al. 2000).

Habitat Associations

Macrohabitat: Adults usually encountered in large reservoirs and rivers, generally not found in smaller streams characteristic of the ammocoete stage (Scott and Crossman 1973; Rohde and Lanteigne-Courechene 1980). Ammocoete live in streams (Carlander 1969).

Mesohabitat: Ammocoetes stay in swifter water in fine substrata, as well as in slower area with vegetation (Scott and Crossman 1973).

Biology

Spawning season: In Tennessee, occurs in early May (Etnier and Starnes 1993).

Spawning habitat: Lithophils; rock and gravel spawners that do not guard their eggs. Large eggs are buried in gravel depressions called redds or in rock interstitial spaces (Simon 1999); gravel beds (Carlander 1969).

Reproductive strategy: Non-guarders; brood hiders (Simon 1999). Build nests in gravel areas of streams and die shortly after spawning (Carlander 1969). Spawning occurs in large communal aggregations of up to 50 individuals (Ross 2001). The spawning fish excavated a nest area 60cm wide by 100 cm long, and 5 cm deep. While some fish engaged in spawning, others moved stones from the upstream side of the nest, so the over the course of about 22 hours the nest area including newly excavated and filled extended 6.2m upstream from the original site (Case 1970).

Fecundity: A 284 mm female from Oklahoma reported to contain 42,000 eggs (Hall and Moore 1954). Fecundity increases with adult size ranging from 10,144 to 18,563 oocytes; mature ovarian oocytes average 1.34 mm in diameter (Beamish and Thomas 1983).

Age at maturation: Ovaries begin to show development in ammocoetes larger than 88 mm TL (Beamish and Thomas 1983).

Migration: Most adults migrate to lakes, oceans, or large rivers (Carlander 1969).

Growth and population structure: Postmetomorphosis juveniles may be less than 100 mm TL; adults range between 105-310 mm TL Ross 2001). In May, lampreys averaged 104 mm and 1.8g; in October, 201 mm and 9.1 g (Carlander 1969). Ammocoetes metamorphose into predaceous juveniles between 100-130 mm TL and at 5-7 years (Hardisty and Potter 1971). Juvenile stage lasts from less than a year to no more than 1.5 years (Hall 1963).

Longevity: Adults, in Michigan, reported to live 18 months, but to feed actively for only five months (Carlander 1969).

Food habits: Ammocoetes are herbivorous filter feeders consuming minute organic particles (Diatoms and desmids) for several years prior to metamorphosing into adults. Adults are parasitic carnivores, feeding on the blood of other fish by attaching themselves with a suctorial disc and rasping a hole with their horny plated tongue (Carlander 1969; Goldstein and Simon 1999). Host species include chain pickerel (Esox niger), carp, blacktail redhorse (Moxostoma poecilurum), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides; Hall and Moore 1954; Farmer 1980; Mayden et al. 1989). Cook (1959) also reported it on catfish, buffalos, and paddlefish (Polydon spathula). Recently studies showed them feeding on smaller fishes (130-150 mm TL) including creek chubs (Semotilus atromacutalus), bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) and common shiners. Small fish are more common upstream where metamorphose to adult stage occurs, and their scale and skin layers allow easier easier penetration for smaller lampreys (Cochran and Jenkins 1994). Most parasitic attacks take place at night (Hall 1963).

Phylogeny and morphologically similar fishes

Icthyomyzon castaneus is thought to be derived from I. unicuspis (Hubbs and Potter 1971).

The chestnut lamprey is most similar to the southern brook lamprey. The chestnut lamprey can be distinguished in adult form by the presence of well developed teeth in the oral disk (versus poorly developed teeth in the southern brook lamprey), by the oral disk being wider than the head, and by the functional digestive tract (Ross 2001).

Host Records

Commercial or Environmental Importance

References

Beamish, F.W.H. and E.J. Thomas. 1983. Potential and actual fecundity of the “paired lampreys” Ichthyomyzon gagei, and I. castaneus. Copeia 1983(2): 367-374.

Carlander, K.D. 1969. Handbook of Freshwater fishery biology. Vol.1. The Iowa State Univ. Press, Ames. 752 pp.

Case, B. 1970. Spawning behavior of the chestnut lamprey Ichthyomyzon castaneus. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 27:1872-1874.

Cochran, P.A., and R.E. Jenkins. 1994. Small fishes as hosts for parasitic lampreys. Copeia 1994(2): 499-504.

Cook, F.A. 1959. Freshwater fishes in Mississippi. Mississippi Game and Fish Commission, Jackson.

Farmer, G.J. 1980. Biology and physiology of feeding in adult lampreys. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 37:1751-1761.

Girard, C. 1858. Fishes. In: General report on the general zoology of the several Pacific railroad routes. Rep. Explo. Surv. Route Railroad Mississippi River to Pacific Ocean 1853-1855. 10(4):1-400.

Goldstein, R.M., and T.P. Simon. 1999. Toward a united definition of guild structure for feeding ecology of North American freshwater fishes. pp. 123-202 in T.P. Simon, editor. Assessing the sustainability and biological integrity of water resources using fish communities. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.

Hall, J. D. 1963. An ecological study of the chestnut lamprey, Ichthyomyzon castaneus Girard, in the Manistee River, Michigan. Ph.D. Diss., Univ. Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Hall, G.E. and G.A. Moore. 1954. Oklahoma lampreys: their characterization and distribution. Copeia 1954(2): 127-135.

Hardisty, W.M. and I.C. Potter. 1971.  The behavior, ecology and growth of larval lampreys, pp 85-125. In biology of lampreys. Vol. 1. M. W. Hardisty and I.C. Potter, eds. Academic Press, New York, NY.

Hubbs, C.L. and I.C. Potter. 1971. Distribution, phylogeny and taxonomy, pp. 1-65. In: The biology of lampreys. Vol.1. M. W. Hardisty and I.C. Potter, eds. Academic Press, New York, NY.

Hubbs, C.L. and M. B. Trautman. 1937. A revision of the lamprey genus Ichthyomyzon. Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Mich. 35:1-109.

Hubbs, Carl L., R.J. Edwards and G.P. Garret. 1991. An annotated checklist of freshwater fishes of Texas, with key to identification of species. Texas Journal of Science, Supplement 43(4):1-56.

Knapp, F. T. 1951. Additional Reports of Lampreys from Texas. Copeia 1951(1):87.

Mayden, R.L. R.H. Matson, B.R. Kuhajda, J.M. Peirson, M.F. Mettee, K.S. Frazer. 1989. The chestnut lamprey, Ichthyomyzon castaneus Girard, in the Mobile Basin. Proc. S.E. Fishes Council 20:10-13.

Pflieger, W.L. 1997. The Fishes of Missouri. Revised Edition. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City. 372 pp.

Rohde, F.C. and Lanteigne-Courechene, J.1980. Ichthyomyzon castaneus (Girard), Chestnut lamprey. pp. 16 in D.S. Lee et al. Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes. N.C. State Mus. Nat. Hist., Raleigh, i-r+854 pp.

Ross, S.T. 2001. Inland fishes of Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson. 624 pp.

Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. Bull. 185:1-966.

Simon, T. P. 1999. Assessment of Balon’s reproductive guilds with application to Midwestern North American Freshwater Fishes, pp. 97-121. In: Simon, T.L. (ed.). Assessing the sustainability and biological integrity of water resources using fish communities. CRC Press. Boca Raton, Florida. 671 pp.

Smith, P.W. 1979. The Fishes of Illinois. Univ. Illinois Press, Urbana. 314 pp.

Suckley, G. 1860. Report upon the fishes collected on the survey. Pages in Reports of explorations and surveys to ascertain the most praticable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. Vol. 12, Book 2, Part viii. 399 pp.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Wildlife Division, Diversity and Habitat Assessment Programs. County Lists of Texas' Special Species. [30 May 2006]. http://gis.tpwd.state.tx.us/TpwEndangeredSpecies/DesktopModules/AcountyCodeKeyForWebESDatabases.pdf

Toole, M. 1950. Texas Game and Fish 8(4):15.

Warren, L. W., Jr., B. M. Burr, S. J. Walsh, H. L. Bart, Jr., R. C. Cashner, D. A. Etnier, B. J. Freeman, B. R. Kuhajda, R. L. Mayden, H. W. Robison, S. T. Ross, and W. C. Starnes. 2000. Diversity, Distribution, and Conservation status of the native freshwater fishes of the southern United States. Fisheries 25(10):7-29.