Spatial mismatch between sea lamprey behaviour and trap location explains low success at trapping for control

Crucial to the management of invasive species is understanding space use and the environmental features affecting space use. Improved understanding of space use by invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) could help researchers discern why trap success in large rivers is lower than needed for effective control. We tested whether manipulating discharge nightly could increase trap success at a hydroelectric generating station on the St. Marys River. We quantified numbers of acoustically tagged sea lampreys migrating up to, and their space use at, the hydroelectric generating station. In 2011 and 2012, 78% and 68%, respectively, of tagged sea lampreys reached the generating station. Sea lampreys were active along the face, but more likely to occur at the bottom and away from the traps near the surface, especially when discharge was high. Our findings suggest that a low probability of encountering traps was due to spatial (vertical) mismatch between space use by sea lamprey and trap locations and that increasing discharge did not alter space use in ways that increased trap encounter. Understanding space use by invasive species can help managers assess the efficacy of trapping and ways of improving trapping success.

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Olfactory-mediated stream-finding behavior of migratory adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f10-169 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 68 (3) ◽

pp. 523-533 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Lance A. Vrieze ◽

Roger A. Bergstedt ◽

Peter W. Sorensen

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Great Lakes ◽

River Water ◽

Petromyzon Marinus ◽

River Mouth ◽

Sea Lamprey ◽

Anadromous Fish ◽

Three Phase ◽

Sea Lampreys ◽

Novel Strategy

Stream-finding behavior of adult sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ), an anadromous fish that relies on pheromones to locate spawning streams, was documented in the vicinity of an important spawning river in the Great Lakes. Untreated and anosmic migrating sea lampreys were implanted with acoustic transmitters and then released outside the Ocqueoc River. Lampreys swam only at night and then actively. When outside of the river plume, lampreys pursued relatively straight bearings parallel to the shoreline while making frequent vertical excursions. In contrast, when within the plume, lampreys made large turns and exhibited a weak bias towards the river mouth, which one-third of them entered. The behavior of anosmic lampreys resembled that of untreated lampreys outside of the plume, except they pursued a more northerly compass bearing. To locate streams, sea lampreys appear to employ a three-phase odor-mediated strategy that involves an initial search along shorelines while casting vertically, followed by river-water-induced turning that brings them close to the river’s mouth, which they then enter using rheotaxis. This novel strategy differs from that of salmonids and appears to offer this poor swimmer adaptive flexibility and suggests ways that pheromonal odors might be used to manage this invasive species.

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A deathly odor suggests a new sustainable tool for controlling a costly invasive species

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f2011-072 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 68 (7) ◽

pp. 1157-1160 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

C. Michael Wagner ◽

Eric M. Stroud ◽

Trevor D. Meckley

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Great Lakes ◽

Behavioral Response ◽

Petromyzon Marinus ◽

Soxhlet Extraction ◽

Control Program ◽

Sea Lamprey ◽

Laurentian Great Lakes ◽

Sea Lampreys

Here we confirm a long-standing anecdotal observation; the sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) actively avoids the odor emitted by decaying conspecifics. We extracted the semiochemical mixture produced by the putrefying carcasses of sea lampreys via Soxhlet extraction in ethanol and exposed groups of 10 migratory-phase lampreys to either the putrefaction extract (N = 8) or an ethanol control (N = 8) in a laboratory raceway. Sea lampreys rapidly avoided the putrefaction odor while exhibiting no response to the ethanol control. This response was elicited with a diluted mixture (1:373 000) and was maintained for 40 min (the duration of exposure), after which the lampreys quickly returned to their nominal distribution. The ease with which this odor is obtained, and the rapid and consistent behavioral response, suggests the substance will prove useful as a repellent in the sea lamprey control program carried out in the Laurentian Great Lakes.

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Sterility Method of Pest Control and Its Potential Role in an Integrated Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Control Program

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f80-252 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 37 (11) ◽

pp. 2108-2117 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Lee H. Hanson ◽

Patrick J. Manion

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Pest Control ◽

Integrated Control ◽

Petromyzon Marinus ◽

Control Program ◽

Sea Lamprey ◽

Effective Control ◽

Control Fish ◽

Sea Lampreys ◽

Normal Males

The sterility method of pest control could be an effective tool in the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control program in the Great Lakes. Some of the requirements for its successful application have been met. A field study demonstrated that the release of male sea lampreys, sterilized by the injection of 100 mg/kg of P,P-bis(1-aziridinyl)-N-methylphosphinothioic amide (bisazir), will reduce the number of viable larvae produced. The actual reduction in reproductive success that occurred was directly related to the ratio of sterile to normal males in the population. The technique can be used in many ways in an integrated control program and has considerable potential for the more effective control of the sea lamprey. Eradication is a distinct possibility.Key words: sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus; pest control, fish control, sterile-male technique, sterilization, chemosterilants, bisazir, Great Lakes

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Classification of Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Attack Marks on Great Lakes Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f80-240 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 37 (11) ◽

pp. 1989-2006 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Everett Louis King Jr.

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Lake Trout ◽

Petromyzon Marinus ◽

Attachment Site ◽

Sea Lamprey ◽

Salvelinus Namaycush ◽

Oral Disc ◽

Field Assessment ◽

Sea Lampreys

Criteria for the classification of marks inflicted by sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) into nine categories were developed from laboratory studies in an attempt to refine the classification system used in field assessment work. These criteria were based on characteristics of the attachment site that could be identified under field conditions by unaided visual means and by touching the attachment site. Healing of these marks was somewhat variable and was influenced by the size of lamprey, duration of attachment, severity of the wound at lamprey detachment, season and water temperature, and by other less obvious factors. Even under laboratory conditions staging of some wounds was difficult, especially at low water temperatures. If these criteria are to be used effectively and with precision in the field, close examination of individual fish may be required. If the feeding and density of specific year-classes of sea lampreys are to be accurately assessed on an annual basis, close attention to the wound size (as it reflects the size of the lamprey's oral disc) and character of wounds on fish will be required as well as consideration of the season of the year in which they are observed.Key words: sea lamprey, attack marks, lake trout, Great Lakes

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Seasonal growth and duration of the parasitic life stage of the landlocked sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f95-122 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 52 (6) ◽

pp. 1257-1264 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Roger A. Bergstedt ◽

William D. Swink

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Pattern ◽

Life Stage ◽

Petromyzon Marinus ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Sea Lamprey ◽

Gonadal Development ◽

Adult Size ◽

Sea Lampreys ◽

Mean Size ◽

Host Mortality

We used lengths and weights of 2367 live parasitic-phase sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) collected from Lake Huron, 1984–1990, to calculate their mean size at half-month intervals. Growth in weight was linear during June through September; increments averaged 11.1 g per half month. Growth increased sharply in October to several times the summer rate. We speculate that the increase in growth in October is explained partly by water temperature and partly by an increase in appetite related to the onset of gonadal development. The greater compression of biomass accumulation in autumn than has been previously demonstrated better explains the autumn pulse of sea lamprey induced host mortality. Based on the seasonal pattern of growth and on recaptures of marked sea lampreys, we conclude that landlocked individuals grow to adult size and mature in one parasitic growth year. Regressions of weight (grams) on total length (millimetres) differed significantly among months, and the season of collection must be considered in predicting weight from length.

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Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus : an exception to the rule of homing in anadromous fishes

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2008.0341 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 4 (6) ◽

pp. 659-662 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

John Waldman ◽

Cheryl Grunwald ◽

Isaac Wirgin

Keyword(s):

East Coast ◽

Feeding Strategy ◽

Petromyzon Marinus ◽

Sea Lamprey ◽

Mitochondrial Dna Control Region ◽

Life History Pattern ◽

Haplotypic Diversity ◽

Geographical Regions ◽

Sea Lampreys ◽

Pheromonal Communication

Anadromous fishes are believed to make regular circuits of migration in the sea before homing to their natal rivers. Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus is an anadromous fish that is an exception to this life-history pattern. It also differs from other anadromous fishes in that its adult phase is parasitic, a feeding strategy that should make homing problematic for lamprey cohorts that become widely dispersed through transport by the diverse hosts they parasitize. We sequenced a portion of the mitochondrial DNA control region from sea lampreys collected from 11 North American east coast rivers to test for genetic evidence of homing. There were no significant differences ( Χ 2 =235.1, p =0.401) in haplotype frequencies among them, with almost 99 per cent of haplotypic diversity occurring within populations. These findings, together with concordant genetic results from other geographical regions and ancillary information on pheromonal communication, suggest that sea lamprey does not home but rather exhibits regional panmixia while using a novel ‘suitable river’ strategy to complete its life cycle.

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Metamorphosis in the anadromous sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus L.

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z78-080 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 56 (4) ◽

pp. 561-570 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

I. C. Potter ◽

G. M. Wright ◽

J. H. Youson

Keyword(s):

Petromyzon Marinus ◽

Sea Lamprey ◽

The Body ◽

Larval Life ◽

Internal Organs ◽

Sea Lampreys ◽

Mode Of Life ◽

Quantitative Changes ◽

Stage 1 ◽

Increased Activity

A study has been made of metamorphosis in anadromous sea lampreys in New Brunswick between 1973 and 1976. The stages (1–7) commence with the recently described 'prometamorphic ammocoete' (Youson, J. H., G. M. Wright, and E. C. Ooi. 1977. The timing of changes in several internal organs during metamorphosis of anadromous larval lamprey Petromyzon marinus L. Can. J. Zool. 55: 469–473.) and conclude with one similar to the newly metamorphosed landlocked sea lamprey (Manion, P. J., and T. M. Stauffer. 1970. Metamorphosis of the landlocked sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 27: 1735–1746.). Most of the marked quantitative changes exhibited by certain regions of the body can be directly related to adaptations for suctorial feeding, increased activity, and a predaceous mode of life. Reductions in the prebranchial length are almost certainly associated with changes in the pharyngeal basket which facilitate alterations in the direction of the respiratory water flow. The timing of metamorphosis was remarkably synchronous both within and between years, representatives of the earliest stages (1–2) being found only between July 7 and 28 while after September 14 only stage 7 animals were caught. During metamorphosis the lengths of the animals changed little whereas their weights declined significantly. The weights and condition factors of stage 1–2 animals were significantly greater than those of larvae of comparable length. This feature, presumably related to lipid accumulation at the end of larval life, is discussed in the context of factors influencing the onset of metamorphosis.

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Sex Ratios and Lengths of Adult Sea Lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) from a Lake Ontario Tributary

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada ◽

10.1139/f74-022 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 122-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

I. C. Potter ◽

F. W. H. Beamish ◽

B. G. H. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Narrow Range ◽

Sex Ratios ◽

Petromyzon Marinus ◽

Lake Ontario ◽

Sea Lamprey ◽

Adult Males ◽

Sea Lampreys ◽

Males And Females ◽

The Mean ◽

Humber River

The mean lengths of adult males and females of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) migrating into the Humber River from Lake Ontario in each of the years 1968–1972 varied little, and were similar to those found by other workers in recently established populations in the upper lakes. In contrast, the ratio of males to females, which lay within the narrow range of 1:1 to 1.26:1, was similar to those reported for long-established populations.

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Effects of Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Control in the Great Lakes on Aquatic Plants, Invertebrates, and Amphibians

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f80-231 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 37 (11) ◽

pp. 1895-1905 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

P. A. Gllderhus ◽

B. G. H. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Aquatic Plants ◽

Chemical Control ◽

Petromyzon Marinus ◽

Sea Lamprey ◽

Aquatic Communities ◽

Sea Lampreys

The chemicals 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) or a combination of TFM and 2′,5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide (Bayer 73) have been used to control the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the Great Lakes for about 20 yr. These chemicals cause some mortalities of Oligochaeta and Hirudinea, immature forms of Ephemeroptera (Hexagenia sp.), and certain Trichoptera, Simuliidae, and Amphibia (Necturus sp.). The combination of TFM and Bayer 73 may affect some Pelecypoda and Gastropoda, but its overall effects on invertebrates are probably less than those of TFM alone. Granular Bayer 73 is likely to induce mortalities among oligochaetes, microcrustaceans, chironomids, and pelecypods. No evidence exists that the lampricides have caused the catastrophic decline or disappearance of any species. The overall impact of chemical control of sea lampreys on aquatic communities has been minor compared with the benefits derived.Key words: sea lamprey control, Great Lakes, TFM, Bayer 73, aquatic plants, invertebrates, amphibians

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