| European river lamprey | |
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| European river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) in thePirita,Estonia | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Infraphylum: | Agnatha |
| Class: | Petromyzontida |
| Order: | Petromyzontiformes |
| Family: | Petromyzontidae |
| Genus: | Lampetra |
| Species: | L. fluviatilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Lampetra fluviatilis | |
| Synonyms[2][3] | |
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TheEuropean river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis), also known as theriver lamprey orlampern, is a species of freshwaterlamprey.
Adult river lampreys measure from 25 to 40 cm (10 to 16 in) in the marine forms and up to 28 cm (11 in)in the lake forms. The very elongated body is uniformly dark grey on top, paler to yellowish off-white on the sides and pure white underneath. Like all lampreys, they lack pairedfins and have a circular sucking disc instead ofjaws. They have a single nostril and seven smallgill slits on each side behind the eye. The teeth are sharp and these fish can be distinguished from the somewhat smallerbrook lamprey (Lampetra planeri) by the fact that the twodorsal fins are more widely separated.[4]
The European river lamprey is found in coastal waters around almost all of Europe from the northwesternMediterranean Sea north to the lakes ofFinland, Scotland, Norway (Mjøsa),Wales (Cors Caron), and Russia, including rivers in theAlps; especially inNakkila, Finland andLatvian coastal towns such asCarnikava,Salacgrīva andPāvilosta European river lampreys are a traditional local delicacy.[5][6]
Its conservation status was originally listed as "near threatened" in 1996, but since 2008 it has been listed as "least concern", following recovery of populations after pollution problems in central and western Europe.[7] However, an assessment for theBaltic Sea published in 2014 classified the river lamprey asNear Threatened in this region, supported by the IUCN's 2024 classification.[1][8] In August 2018, Spain declared it officially extinct in its territory.[9]
Like many lampreys, this species feeds as anectoparasite andparasite of fish. It clings on to the flanks or gills of the fish with its sucker and rasps at the tissue underneath.[4]
River lampreys belong to the same genus as thebrook lamprey and are thought to be very closely related. Current thinking suggests that European brook and river lampreys are apaired species, with the river lamprey representing theanadromous (seagoing) form of the resident brook lamprey. However, this is an area of active research.[10]
The European river lamprey has a reproductive cycle similar to that of thesalmon. River lampreys migrate upstream from the sea to spawning grounds in autumn and winter.[11][12][13] Spawning activity is greatest in the springtime (like the brook lamprey) and after spawning, the adults die. The young larvae, known as ammocoetes, spend several years in soft sediment before migrating to the sea as adults. It is thought that these fish spend two to three years in marine habitats before making the return trip to spawn.[4]
As ammocoetes, these animals are difficult to identify beyond genus level (Lampetra) because of their close resemblance to brook lamprey. They average 30 cm in length as adults, and some may be considerably smaller (20 cm), but in any case they are considerably larger than adult brook lampreys (12–14 cm). They generally weigh 150 g, and their maximum lifespan is about 10 years.[14]
Goodwin, C. E.; Dick, J. T. A.; Rogowski, D. L.; Elwood, R. W. (December 2008). "Lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis andLampetra planeri) ammocoete habitat associations at regional, catchment and microhabitat scales in Northern Ireland".Ecology of Freshwater Fish.17 (4):542–553.Bibcode:2008EcoFF..17..542G.doi:10.1111/j.1600-0633.2008.00305.x.
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