Lethenteron camtschaticum

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CEPHALASPIDOMORPHI	PETROMYZONTIFORMES	PETROMYZONTIDAE

Scientific Name:

Lethenteron camtschaticum

Species Authority:

(Tilesius, 1811)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Arctic Lamprey

Synonym/s:

Lampetra camtschatica (Tilesius, 1811)

Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, 1758 subspecies camtschaticus Tilesius, 1811

Taxonomic Notes:

Earlier known as Lethenteron japonicum.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M.
Reviewer/s:	Bogutskaya, N., & Smith, K. (IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Unit)
Contributor/s:
Justification: A widespread species with no known major widespread threats. The species is impacted by local pollution and river regulation in Siberia, but no actual risk because of large distribution range.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Circumpolar; seas and freshwaters of northern Europe, Asia and North America. In Europe, Arctic, White and Barents Sea basins of Russia and Norway, from Pechora (Russia) to Pasvik (Norwegian-Russian border) drainages.
Countries:	Native: Canada; China; Finland; Greenland; Japan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Norway; Russian Federation; United States
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Abundant.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Habitat: Adults live in coastal and estuarine waters and spawn in strong-current habitats of rivers and streams. Ammocoetes burrow in detritus-rich sands or clay sediments. Biology: Anadromous, predatory. Adults migrate into rivers in late summer and autumn, until rivers freeze. The migration is mainly nocturnal. Spawning season depends on latitude, when temperatures reach 12-16°C, from April to August. Both sexes dig a shallow nest in habitats with fast current. Spawners form large aggregations. Adults die after spawning. Ammocoetes stage lasts 3½ years. Feeds on detritus and micro-organisms, metamorphoses in late summer. Most juveniles overwinter in freshwater and migrate to the sea the following spring and early summer. At sea, feeds on a wide variety of fish, mostly Clupeidae and Salmonidae. Feeds on body tissues of the prey, which is usually killed. Adults feed for 1-3 summers before migrating to spawning grounds. Large and small mature individuals might represent different age classes returning from sea to spawn. Landlocked populations are not found in Europe, but are known in Alaska. Individuals of these populations are smaller.
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Habitat:
Adults live in coastal and estuarine waters and spawn in strong-current habitats of rivers and streams. Ammocoetes burrow in detritus-rich sands or clay sediments.

Biology:
Anadromous, predatory. Adults migrate into rivers in late summer and autumn, until rivers freeze. The migration is mainly nocturnal. Spawning season depends on latitude, when temperatures reach 12-16°C, from April to August. Both sexes dig a shallow nest in habitats with fast current. Spawners form large aggregations. Adults die after spawning. Ammocoetes stage lasts 3½ years. Feeds on detritus and micro-organisms, metamorphoses in late summer. Most juveniles overwinter in freshwater and migrate to the sea the following spring and early summer. At sea, feeds on a wide variety of fish, mostly Clupeidae and Salmonidae. Feeds on body tissues of the prey, which is usually killed. Adults feed for 1-3 summers before migrating to spawning grounds. Large and small mature individuals might represent different age classes returning from sea to spawn. Landlocked populations are not found in Europe, but are known in Alaska. Individuals of these populations are smaller.

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	No major threats known.

Major Threat(s):

No major threats known.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	No information.

Conservation Actions:

No information.

Citation:	Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. 2008. Lethenteron camtschaticum. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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