Marine Distribution of the Sea Lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) in the Northwest Atlantic

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Main Author: Halliday, R. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1991
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f91-099; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f91-099

Catch data from trawling surveys by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service conducted between Nova Scotia and Cape Hatteras mainly during 1978–90 contained 60 records of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) captures. A further 20 records were obtained from a variety of other sources. These animals ranged in length from 12 to 84 cm. Those less than 39 cm were almost all taken in bottom trawl surveys on the continential shelf or in coastal trap nets whereas most animals 56 cm and larger were caught in midwater trawls primarily along the shelf edge and over the continental slope. The data are consistent with a previously proposed 2.5-yr marine juvenile parasitic period but a 1.5-yr period cannot be ruled out until intermediate-sized animals 39–55 cm are caught. Direct and indirect evidence on host species indicates that feeding on anadromous and small marine fish may be restricted to the first juvenile year and that large pelagic fish and marine mammals are hosts at older ages. Thus, subsequent to the first winter following metamorphosis, sea lampreys are apparently pelagic in habit and possibly wide ranging in distribution in association with large pelagic hosts.