Monitoring sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus ammocoetes in SAC rivers: A case study on the River Wye

Taylor, Ryan J.; Noble, Richard A.; Nunn, Andrew D.; Harvey, Jonathan P.; Cowx, Ian G.

Abstract

The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus L.) is a designated feature of the River Wye and the Severn Estuary Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). This study assessed the conservation status of sea lamprey in the Welsh reaches of the Wye catchment. Sea lamprey ammocoete (larvae) and transformer (metamorphosing larvae) surveys were conducted at 54 sites following the established UK protocol. The mean density of ammocoetes was 2.20 m -2 and, where sufficient ammocoetes were obtained, at least two size (≈age) classes were present, indicating favourable condition status. It was impossible, however, to identify trends in condition status because of lack of historical data. Condition status should also ideally be linked with information on flow dynamics, habitat requirements and river-channel morphology to understand, and be able to respond to, changes in population dynamics. Modifications to the condition assessment criteria for lampreys should be made as more data become available. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010.

Citation

Taylor, R. J., Noble, R. A., Nunn, A. D., Harvey, J. P., & Cowx, I. G. (2010). Monitoring sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus ammocoetes in SAC rivers: A case study on the River Wye. In Conservation Monitoring in Freshwater Habitats A Practical Guide and Case Studies (193-206). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9278-7_19

• Online Publication Date: Oct 10, 2009
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2010
• Pages: 193-206
• Book Title: Conservation Monitoring in Freshwater Habitats A Practical Guide and Case Studies
• ISBN: 9781402092770; 9781402092787
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9278-7_19
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/409508
• Contract Date: Dec 19, 2009