Article

Aleksandr O. Zvezdin, PhD, Researcher of Laboratory for behavior of lower vertebrates, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS (119071, Russia, Moscow, Leninskiy Prospect, 33); iD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1492-2976; e-mail: a.o.zvezdin@gmail.com
Natalia V. Polyakova, Researcher of Laboratory for behavior of lower vertebrates, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS (119071, Russia, Moscow, Leninskiy Prospect, 33); iD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3577-073X; e-mail: nvpnataly@yandex.ru
Aleksandr V. Kucheryavyy, PhD, Senior Researcher of Laboratory for behavior of lower vertebrates, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS (119071, Russia, Moscow, Leninskiy Prospect, 33); iD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2014-5736; e-mail: scolopendra@bk.ru, kucheryavyy@sevin.ru
Vladimir R. Khokhryakov, PhD, Deputy Director for Science in the Smolenskoe Poozerye National Park (216270, Russia, Smolensk Region, Demidovsky District, Przhevalskoe village, Gurevicha Street, 19); e-mail: khokhryakovy@yandex.ru
Anzhelika V. Kolotei, Senior Engineer of Laboratory for behavior of lower vertebrates, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS (119071, Russia, Moscow, Leninskiy Prospect, 33); iD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0457-4605; e-mail: a.v.kolotey@yandex.ru
Dmitriy S. Pavlov, Dr.Sc., Academician, Head of Laboratory for behavior of lower vertebrates, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS (119071, Russia, Moscow, Leninskiy Prospect, 33); e-mail: acad.pavlov@gmail.com

Zvezdin A.O., Polyakova N.V., Kucheryavyy A.V., Khokhryakov V.R., Kolotei A.V., Pavlov D.S. 2021. Discovery of Eudontomyzon sp. (Petromyzontidae) larvae in lakes and a characterisation of their habitats. Nature Conservation Research 6(3): 73–86. https://dx.doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2021.039

The extended freshwater life of Petromyzontiformes larvae (ammocoetes) takes place mainly in lotic waters where it has been studied in detail. Information on ammocoetes in lentic habitats is extremely limited, with few data on the occurrence of specimens in ponds or large lakes. The area of the Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park has a dense network of lakes and rivers, with streams abundantly populated by lamprey larvae of the genera Lampetra and Eudontomyzon. In this paper, we evaluate the habitability of lakes belonging to such systems and the manner in which they are populated by lamprey. Larval habitat identification and documentation (bed analysis where ammocoetes exist, including ground composition and biotic and abiotic habitat characteristics) were carried out, resulting in the first documentation of larvae and metamorphic specimens of Eudontomyzon sp. inhabiting littoral areas of small lakes. These specimens were found in the fringe biotopes between the river mouth and lakes. One peculiarity that distinguishes the lentic habitats from the typical river ones is the absence of distinct currents. Freshwater flows diffusely into lakes, mixing continuously at the sites we studied. Preferred habitats for Eudontomyzon sp. consisted of swales filled with debris carried from inflowing streams and deposited as current diminished. In ammocoete beds of this type, the examined larvae had a good trophic position. Such habitats can be both permanent and ephemeral as tributary water levels changes. During flood events, elevated velocity can flush debris and ammocoetes away from these fringe habitats and further into a lake. No accentuated active decomposition was found in the areas where the ammocoetes were present. The results of the study indicate that Petromyzontiformes larvae may be more common in lentic habitats than is currently documented.

ammocoetes, ammocoetes bed, lake habitat, lampreys, relocation mechanism, migration, settlement mechanism

Received: 01.04.2021. Revised: 07.06.2021. Accepted: 16.06.2021.

Alekseev V.R., Tsalolikhin M. (Eds.). 2010. Keys for zooplankton and zoobenthos of freshwaters in the European part of Russia. Vol. 1: Zooplankton. Moscow: KMK Scientific Press Ltd. 495 p. [In Russian]
Alekseev V.R., Tsalolikhin M. (Eds.). 2016. Keys for zooplankton and zoobenthos of freshwaters in the European part of Russia. Vol. 2: Zoobenthos. Moscow: KMK Scientific Press Ltd. 480 p. [In Russian]
Almeida P.R., Quintella B.R. 2002. Larval habitat of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus L.) in the River Mondego (Portugal). In: M.J. Collares-Pereira, M.M. Coelho, I.G. Cowx (Eds.): Freshwater Fish Conservation Options for the Future. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Scientific Publications. P. 121–130.
Almeida P.R., Quintella B.R., Dias N.M., Andrade N. 2002. The anadromous sea lamprey in Portugal: biology and conservation perspectives. In: Proceedings of the International Congress on the Biology of Fish: the Biology of Lampreys. Vancouver: University of British Columbia. P. 49–58.
Applegate V.C. 1950. Natural history of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, in Michigan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Bulletin 55: 1–237.
Beamish F.W.H., Lowartz S. 1996. Larval habitat of American brook lamprey. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 53: 693–700.
Beamish R.J. 1982. Lampetra macrostoma, a new species of freshwater parasitic lamprey from the west coast of Canada. Canadian Journal of Fish Aquatic Sciences 39(5): 736–747. DOI: 10.1139/f82-102
Bond C.E., Kan T.T. 1973. Lampetra (Entosphenus) minima n. sp., a dwarfed parasitic lamprey from Oregon. Copeia 1973(3): 568–574. DOI: 10.2307/1443122
Brumo A.F. 2006. Spawning, larval recruitment, and early life survival of Pacific lampreys in the South Fork Coquille River, Oregon. MSc Thesis. Corvallis: Oregon State University. 131 p.
Brumo A.F., Grandmontagne L., Namitz S.N., Markle D.F. 2009. Approaches for Monitoring Pacific Lamprey Spawning Populations in a Coastal Oregon Stream. In: L.R. Brown, S.D. Chase, M.G. Mesa, R.J. Beamish, P.B. Moyle (Eds): Biology, management, and conservation of lampreys in North America: American Fisheries Society Symposium. Vol. 72. Bethesda: American Fisheries Society. P. 204–222.
Burr B.M., Shasteen D.K. 2007. Distribution, abundance, and habitat requirements of the threatened least brook lamprey, Lampetra aepyptera, in the Shawnee National Forest. Final report to USDA Forest Service. Harrisburg: USDA Forest Service. 68 p.
Clemens B.J. 2019. A call for standard terminology for lamprey life stages. Fisheries 44(5): 243–245. DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10227
Cochran P.A., Lyons J. 2004. Field and laboratory observations on the ecology and behavior of the silver lamprey (Ichthyomyzon unicuspis) in Wisconsin. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 19(2): 245–253. DOI: 10.1080/02705060.2004.9664538
Dawson H.A., Potts D.D., Maguffee A.C., O'Connor L.M. 2015. Feasibility of passive integrated transponder technology to study in situ movements of larval sea lamprey. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 6(1): 71–82. DOI: 10.3996/102013-JFWM-067
Dendy J.S., Scott D.C. 1953. Distribution, life history, and morphological variations of the southern brook lamprey, Ichthyomyzon gagei. Copeia 1953(3): 152–162. DOI: 10.2307/1439922
Fodale M.F., Bronte C.R., Bergstedt R.A., Cuddy D.W., Adams J.V. 2003. Classification of lentic habitat for sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) larvae using a remote seabed classification device. Journal of Great Lakes Research 29(Suppl.1): 190–203. DOI: 10.1016/S0380-1330(03)70488-2
Graham J.C., Brun C.V. 2007. Determining lamprey species composition, larval distribution, and adult abundance in the Deschutes River sub basin. 2004–2005 Annual Report. Bonneville Power Administration. Project Number 200201600. Portland: Bonneville Power Administration. 39 p.
Hardisty M.W., Potter I.C. (Eds.). 1971. The Biology of Lampreys. Vol. 1. London: Academic Press. 424 p.
Jażdżewski M., Marszał L., Przybylski M. 2016. Habitat preferences of Ukrainian brook lamprey Eudontomyzon mariae ammocoetes in the lowland rivers of Central Europe. Journal of Fish Biology 88(2): 477–491. DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12806
Jones M.L. 2007. Toward improved assessment of sea lamprey population dynamics in support of cost-effective sea lamprey management. Journal of Great Lakes Research 33(Suppl.2): 35–47. DOI: 10.3394/0380-1330(2007)33[35:TIAOSL]2.0.CO;2
Kan T.T. 1975. Systematics, variation, distribution, and biology of lampreys of the genus Lampetra in Oregon. Doctoral Thesis. Corvallis: Oregon State University. 194 p.
Kelly F.L., King J.J. 2001. A review of the ecology and distribution of three lamprey species, Lampetra fluviatilis (L.), Lampetra planeri (Bloch) and Petromyzon marinus (L.): a context for conservation and biodiversity considerations in Ireland. Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 101B(3): 165–185.
Kelso J.R.M., Todd P.R. 1993. Instream size segregation and density of Geotria australis ammocoetes in two New Zealand streams. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2(3): 108–115. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0633.1993.tb00090.x
Khokhryakov V.R., Antonova T.A. 2021. Studies on the water chemistry of the Lakes Sapsho and Baklanovskoe. In: V.R. Khokhryakov (Ed.): Conditions monitoring and methods of conservation of the natural complexes of the Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park. Chronicle of Nature. Vol. 15. Przhevalskoe: Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park. [In Russian]
Kucheryavyy A.V., Polyakova N.V., Khokhryakov V.R., Tsimbalov I.A. 2019. The first data on the lamprey diversity in the Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park. In: V.R. Khokhryakov (Ed.): Conditions monitoring and methods of conservation of the natural complexes of the Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park. Chronicle of Nature. Vol. 13. Przhevalskoe: Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park. P. 139–142. [In Russian]
Kurdov A.G. 1995. Water resources of the Voronezh Region: formation, anthropogenic impact, protection, and calculations. Voronezh: Voronezh State University. 224 p. [In Russian]
Leach W.J. 1940. Occurrence and life history of the northern brook lamprey, Ichthyomyzon fossor, in Indiana. Copeia 1940(1): 21–34. DOI: 10.2307/1439019
Lebedev N.V. 1936. Behaviour of European anchovy in the stream and its migration. Rybnoe Khozyaystvo 9: 27–32. [In Russian]
Lee D.S., Weise J.G. 1989. Habitat selection of lentic larval lampreys: preliminary analysis based on research with a manned submersible. Journal of Great Lakes Research 15(1): 156–163. DOI: 10.1016/S0380-1330(89)71470-2
Limm M.P., Power M.E. 2011. Effect of the western pearlshell mussel Margaritifera falcata on Pacific lamprey Lampetra tridentata and ecosystem processes. Oikos 120(7): 1076–1082. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18903.x
Logue J.B., Robinson C.T., Meier C., Van der Meer J.R. 2004. Relationship between sediment organic matter, bacteria composition, and the ecosystem metabolism of alpine streams. Limnology and Oceanography 49(6): 2001–2010. DOI: 10.4319/lo.2004.49.6.2001
Lorion C.M., Markle D.F., Reid S.B., Docker M.F. 2000. Redescription of the presumed-extinct Miller Lake lamprey, Lampetra minima. Copeia 2000(4): 1019–1028. DOI: 10.1643/0045-8511(2000)000[1019:ROTPEM]2.0.CO;2
Lucas M., Bracken F. 2010. Potential impacts of hydroelectric power generation on downstream-mowing lampreys of Howsham, Yorkshire Derwent. Durham: Durham University. 29 p.
Minshall G.W. 1978. Autotrophy in stream ecosystems. BioScience 28(12): 767–771. DOI: 10.2307/1307250
Moser M.L., Butzerin J.M., Dey D.B. 2007. Capture and collection of lampreys: the state of the science. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 17(1): 45–56. DOI: 10.1007/s11160-006-9037-3
Mundahl N.D., Sayeed G., Taubel S., Erickson C., Zalatel A., Cousins J. 2006. Densities and habitat of American brook lamprey (Lampetra appendix) larvae in Minnesota. American Midland Naturalist 156(1): 11–22. DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031(2006)156[11:DAHOAB]2.0.CO;2
Nazarov D.Yu., Kucheryavyy A.A., Pavlov D.S. 2016. Distribution and habitat types of the lamprey larvae in rivers across Eurasia. In: A.M. Orlov, R. Beamish (Eds.): Jawless fishes of the World. Vol. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publisher. P. 280–298.
Nezdoly V.K., Pavlov D.S. 2019. Downstream migration of juvenile fish associated with the drift of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Russian Journal of Biological Invasions 10(4): 365–369. DOI: 10.1134/S2075111719040076
Pavlov D.S., Nazarov D.Yu., Zvezdin A.O., Kucheryavyi A.V. 2014. Downstream migration of early larvae of the European river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis. Doklady Biological Sciences 459(1): 344–347. DOI: 10.1134/S0012496614060039
Pavlov D.S., Kostin V.V., Zvezdin A.O., Prozorov D.A., Podolyako S.A. 2019. Rheoreaction of some juvenile Cyprinids during autumn contranatant migration. Journal of Ichthyology 59(6): 938–945. DOI: 10.1134/S0032945219060109
Polyakova N.V., Kucheryavyy A.V., Movchan E.A. 2021. The European river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis (L., 1758) (Petromyzontidae) as a component of the Neva Bay bottom coenoses. Ecosystem Transformation 4(2): 111-119. DOI: 10.23859/estr-201216 [In Russian]
Quintella B.R., Andrade N.O., Almeida P.R. 2003. Distribution, larval stage duration and growth of the sea lamprey ammocoetes, Petromyzon marinus L., in a highly modified river basin. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 12(4): 286–293. DOI: 10.1046/j.1600-0633.2002.00030.x
Quintella B.R., Andrade N.O., Espanhol R., Almeida P.R. 2005. The use of PIT telemetry to study movements of ammocoetes and metamorphosing sea lampreys in river beds. Journal of Fish Biology 66(1): 97–106. DOI: 10.1111/j.0022-1112.2005.00584.x
Reid S.B., Goodman D.H. 2017. Habitat use by lamprey ammocoetes in the Hamilton Ponds, Grass Valley Creek (Trinity Basin CA), including management recommendations to reduce impacts on lamprey. Report to Trinity River Resource Conservation District. 24 p.
Renaud C.B. 2011. Lampreys of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lamprey species known to date. FAO species catalogue for fishery purposes 5. Rome: FAO. 109 p.
Russell J.E., Beamish F.W.H., Beamish R.J. 1987. Lentic spawning by the Pacific lamprey, Lampetra tridentata. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 44(2): 476–478. DOI: 10.1139/f87-057
Shandikov G.A., Goncharov G.L. 2008. Rare fishes of the Severskiy Donets River drainage, North-Eastern Ukraine. Journal of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series Biology 8: 65–90.
Slade J.W., Adams J.V., Christie G.C., Cuddy D.W., Fodale M.F., Heinrich J.W., Quinlan H.R., Weise J.G., Weisser J.W., Young R.J. 2003. Techniques and Methods for Estimating Abundance of Larval and Metamorphosed Sea Lampreys in Great Lakes Tributaries, 1995 to 2001. Journal of Great Lakes Research 29(Suppl.1): 137–151. DOI: 10.1016/S0380-1330(03)70483-3
Smith D.M. 2009. Habitat selection and predation risk in larval lampreys. MSc Thesis. Morgantown: West Virginia University. 58 p.
Stone J., Barndt S. 2005. Spatial distribution and habitat use of Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) ammocoetes in a Western Washington Stream. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 20(1): 171–185. DOI: 10.1080/02705060.2005.9664950
Sutton T.M., Bowen S.H. 1994. Significance of Organic Detritus in the Diet of Larval Lampreys in the Great Lakes Basin. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 51(2): 380–387. DOI: 10.1139/f94-239
Taverny C., Lasalle G., Ortusi I., Roqueplo C., Lepage M., Lambert P. 2011. From shallow to deep waters: habitats used by larval lampreys (genus Petromyzon and Lampetra) over a western European basin. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 21(1): 87–99. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0633.2011.00526.x
Torgersen C.E., Close D.A. 2004. Influence of habitat heterogeneity on the distribution of larval Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) at two spatial scales. Freshwater Biology 49(5): 614–630. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2004.01215.x
Wade J., Pinnell N., Kosminder G., MacConnachie S. 2015. Information to support the identification of critical habitat for the Morrison Creek Lamprey (Lampetra richardsoni var. marifuga). Research Document 2015/031. Ottawa: Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat. 35 p.
Wagner W.C., Stauffer T.M. 1962. Sea lamprey larvae in lentic environments. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 91(4): 384–387. DOI: 10.1577/1548-8659(1962)91[384:SLLILE]2.0.CO;2
White J.L., Harvey B.C. 2003. Basin-scale Patterns in the Drift of Embryonic and Larval Fishes and Lamprey Ammocoetes in two Coastal Rivers. Environmental Biology of Fishes 67(4): 369–378. DOI: 10.1023/A:1025891216345
Yap M.R., Bowen S.H. 2003. Feeding by northern brook lamprey (Ichthyomyzon fossor) on sestonic biofilm fragments: habitat selection results in ingestion of a higher quality diet. Journal of Great Lakes Research 29(Suppl.1): 15–25. DOI: 10.1016/S0380-1330(03)70475-4
Zvezdin A.O., Pavlov D.S., Kucheryavyy A.V., Tsimbalov I.A. 2017. Experimental study of the European river lamprey, Lampetra fluviatilis (L.), migratory behavior in the period of initial dispersion of juveniles. Inland Water Biology 10(2): 209–218. DOI: 10.1134/S1995082917020183