RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ANADROMOUS LAMPREYS AND THEIR HOST FISHES IN THE EASTERN BERING SEA

Arctic Lamprey Lethenteron camtschaticum and Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus are ecologically and culturally important anadromous, parasitic species experiencing recent population declines in the North Pacific Ocean. However, a paucity of basic information on lampreys feeding in the ocean precludes an incorporation of the adult trophic phase into our understanding of lamprey population dynamics. The goal of this research was to provide insight into the marine life-history stage of Arctic and Pacific lampreys through lamprey-host interactions in the eastern Bering Sea. An analysis of two fishery-independent surveys conducted between 2002 and 2012 in the eastern Bering Sea revealed that Arctic Lampreys were...

Interpreting Lamprey Attacks on Pacific Cod in the Eastern Bering Sea

Abstract Adult anadromous lampreys attack several species targeted by large-scale commercial fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean, and the potential negative impact to these host fishes is not well understood. The Arctic Lamprey Lethenteron camtschaticum and Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus are anadromous species that feed in the eastern Bering Sea, and lamprey parasitism is evident on Pacific Cod Gadus macrocephalus near the Bering Slope. To examine this parasitic interaction, we first built models using morphological measurements from lamprey oral discs to predict which lamprey species caused the observed wounds on Pacific Cod. We then examined lamprey wounding rates and explored healing patterns related...