Pacific Lamprey in the Pacific Northwest Conserving a Poorly- Understood Northwest Fish Jeffrey C. Jolley U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Overview What are lampreys? An introduction to Pacific lamprey Current conservation Science highlights?
What are lampreys? Class: Agnatha Order: Petromyzontiformes Family: Petromyzontidae, Geotriidae, Mordaciidae Genus: Lampetra Entosphenus Petromyzon Ichthyomyzon Credit: USFWS
What are Lampreys? Commonly mistaken for eels Credit: Gerald Garold Sneegas Credit: Freshwaters Illustrated
Current Agnathans 380 mya Lampreys Hagfish
Reconstruction illustrating tadpole-like body proportions and large oral disc, compared with modern lamprey
Lampreys of the PNW Pacific lamprey E. tridentatus Western brook lamprey L. richardsoni River lamprey L. ayresii Pacific brook lamprey L. pacifica Kern brook lamprey L. hubbsi Miller lake lamprey L. minima Vancouver lamprey L. macrostoma Arctic lamprey L. camtschatica
Tale of Two Fishes Pacific lamprey Sea lamprey
Tale of Two Fishes Sea lamprey
Tale of Two Fishes Sea lamprey control
Pacific lamprey an anadromous fish Hatch in freshwater Larvae reside in freshwater Juveniles migrate to the ocean Adults feed in the ocean Adults are semelparous K. Williams, NOAA
Tribal Ecological Knowledge
Pacific Lamprey Range From Japan, around the Pacific Rim to Baja California, Mexico Native.
Pacific Lamprey Abundance and Distribution Distribution has been reduced in many river drainages Extirpated above dams and other impassable barriers Decline in abundance throughout the Columbia River basin and many west coast streams Pacific lamprey adult counts Winchester Dam, Umpqua River, OR (ODFW) 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 Year
Population Structure Hypothetical possibilities? One (few) Gene flow and some evidence of genetic differentiation though still indicate a shared evolutionary history and a lack of reproductive isolation Many
General Threats Passage both upstream & downstream Dewatering and flows Poor water quality Dredging (channel maintenance and mining) Stream and floodplain degradation Changing ocean conditions Predation by nonnative fish species
USFWS Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative Apparent widespread decline throughout the range Uncertain information on Abundance & distribution Population structure Threats Interest by a diversity of groups to conserve lamprey populations and to develop and implement management plans
Pacific Lamprey Assessment and Template for Conservation Measures
Conservation Agreement Signatories - 10 Tribes, 4 states, 14 federal agencies
Regional Implementation Planning Efficiently use limited resources and swiftly implement Pacific lamprey actions Identify and prioritize needed actions and research Identify implementing agencies and funding sources
Regional Implementation Planning Deschutes Basin Pacific Lamprey Category Objective Subobjectives Tasks Status Passage Improve passage for Pacific lamprey Define culvert passage and make recommendation Develop and implement structural passage aids Prioritize list of culverts to be modified for lamprey Construct or ehance aids to passage. Evaluate passage at i Begin 2013 Ongoing through 2013 Implementing Entity CTWSRO, USFWS, USFS CTWSRO & USFWS Funding Source Identify Identify
Lamprey Passage System
Lamprey passage on Umatilla and Umpqua Rivers
Balm Grove Dam Barrier??
Evaluation of larval Pacific lamprey rearing in mainstem areas of the Columbia and Snake rivers impacted by dams Bergstedt and Genovese 1994
Pacific lamprey experimental populations Develop an appropriate rearing configuration Investigate health and pathology Develop appropriate feeding regimes for that maximize nutrition, growth, and condition Investigate and increase knowledge of metamorphosis timing Investigate salinity tolerance of larvae
Configuration many iterations ECNFH Coho building ECNFH Upper station AFTC ECNFH Lower station ECNFH Upper station ECNFH
Health and pathology 2009 30 Pacific lamprey Standard fish health examination done (K. Lujan, LCFHC) Larvae relatively disease free Vibrio vulnificus detected 2012 30 Pacific lamprey larvae collected from V vulnificus NOT detected Aeromonas spp. was detected 2013 30 Pacific lamprey larvae Relatively disease free
Larval lamprey virus challenges Collaboration b/t CRFPO/ECNFH/LCFH C/USGS WFSC Larvae resistant to IHNV and VHSV Didn t become infected or replicate virus
Proportion change in total length 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 Growth and nutrition Algae Leaves No feed Salmon analog Yeast/larval food -0.1 July-NovemberNovember-February Overall Interval Jolley, J.C., C.T. Uh, G.S. Silver, T.A. Whitesel. In press. Larval Pacific lamprey feeding and growth in captive-reared environments. North American Journal of Aquaculture.
12 10 8 6 4 Growth and nutrition Baseline lamprey Algae Leaf Salmon analog Yeast/larval food Control - non-fed lamprey Algae-fed lamprey Leaf-fed lamprey Salmon analog-fed lamprey Yeast/larval feed 2 0-2 -30-28 -26-24 -22-20 -18-16 -14-12 C
Salinity tolerance High survival in moderate salinity No survival at elevated salinity. predictions about larval lamprey distribution in, and the importance of coastal streams and the Columbia River Estuary.
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