First record of larval sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus L. in the Endrick Water, Loch Lomond

2012·1.6 MB·English

by  J B Hume

REFERENCES (Maitland et al. 1994; Gardiner et al. 1995). Despite
Ball, S.G., Morris, R.K.S., Rotheray, G.E. and Watt, extensive sampling of larval habitat around the Loch
K.R. (2011). Atlas ofthe hoverjlies ofGreatBritain Lomond basin in recent years, sea lamprey
(Diptera, Syphidae). Wallingford, Biological ammocoetes have until now only been recorded in the
Records Centre, pp. 183. RiverLeven.
Chandler, P. J. (1998). Checklists of British Insects
(New Series) Diptera, 12. Royal Entomological On March 2U* 2012 a single sea lamprey ammocoete
Society ofLondon, London. was collected immediately downstream of Drymen
Knowler, J.T. (2010). An annotated checklist of the Bridge on the Endrick Water (NS 473 874) in static
larger moths of Stirlingshire, West Perthshire and traps designed to capture adult lampreys on their
Dunbartonshire. Glasgow, Glasgow Natural History upstream spawning migration. This individual
mm
Society, pp. 143. measured 151 in total length and was 4.6 g wet
Ricarte, A., Nedeljkovic, Z. and Quinto, J. (2011). weight. Positive identification as Petromyzon as
Ferdinandea ruficornis (Fabricius) (Diptera, opposed to Lampetra spp. was confirmed from the
Syrphidae) new to Scotland. Dipterists Digest 18: following meristic and morphometric characteristics
119-120. (Fig. 1): trunk myomeres 71 {P. marinus 61-1A',
Rotheray, G.E. (1993). Colour guide to hoverfly larvae Lampetra spp. 58-64), oral hood fully pigmented
(Diptera, Syrphidae). DipteristsDigest9: 1-155. {Lampetra spp. upper/lower lip unpigmented), caudal
fill spade-like {Lampetra spp. typically rounded),
robust head region {Lampetra spp. distinct pre-nostril
region) (Renaud 2011). Sea lamprey larval duration is
First record of larval sea lamprey typically five years, although it can be as long as 19
years as growth rates vary enormously, so an accurate
Petromyzon marinus L. in the age estimate of just one individual is fraught with
Endrick Water, Loch Lomond uncertainty. Based on typical values from other U.K.
populations this individual is likely to be 3-5 years old,
J. B. Hume & C. E. Adams indicating that spawning took place in the Endrick
Water at sometime between May/June 2007-2009
Scottish Centre forEcology & the Natural (Hardisty 1969; Bird et al. 1994).
Environment, Institute ofBiodiversity, Animal Health
&
Comparative Medicine, University ofGlasgow,
Glasgow, G12 8QQ.
E-mail:j.hume.l(^research.gla.ac.uk
Three lamprey species are known to occur in Scotland:
European river LampetrafJuviatilis and brook lamprey
L planeri, and the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus.
Although detailed records of their distribution remain
scarce, lampreys have been sampled from 79 Scottish
regions (ERA 2005). The sea lamprey is the rarest
species in both records and surveys and has been
recorded nationally in just 35 rivers, although their
continuingpresence in some is uncertain (ERA 2005). Fig. 1, P. marinus ammocoete
The Endrick Water drains the South East catchment of
Throughout Scotland larval Petromyzon are recorded in
Loch Lomond into its south basin. The river contains very low densities compared with Lampetra spp., even
scientifically important populations ofbrook and river in rivers known to contain strong adult spawning
lamprey, and has been designated a Special Area of populations (APEM 2004; ERA 2004; Watt et al.
Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific
2008). There remains the possibility that sea lamprey
Interest (SSSI) as a result (Bond 2003; Hume 2011).
spawn in the Endrick Water in small numbers, but; that
Although several lamprey surveys have been
adults are not detected because trapping methodology
conducted in recent years (M&aitland et al. 1994; excludes the larger body size of mature sea lamprey,
Gardiner et al. 1995; Gardiner Stewart 1997, 1999; and sea lamprey ammocoetes are not detected during
Forth Fisheries Foundation 2004; Hume 2011; Watt et
routine surveys due to their inherent scarcity.
al. 2011) adult sea lamprey have been recorded only
Currently, the Endrick Water is a stronghold for
very occasionally in the Endrick Water, and they have
lamprey in Scotland, with both L. fluviatilis and L.
not been observed since the 1960s (Hunter et al. 1959;
planeri populations being ofinternational conservation
Maitland 1966). Spawning is believed to be restricted importance (Bond 2003). Ifindeed this isolated record
to the efferent River Leven between the barrage (NS
oflarval P. marinus represents the first indication that
393 894) and footbridge (NS 394 793) in Balloch
137
the species now maintains a spawning population Heritage Commissioned Report No. 292 (ROAME
within the Endrick Water, there is an implication that No. R07AC606).
the consei-vation strategy for this river should be Watt, J., Bull, C., Ravenscroft, N.O.M. & Seed, M.
modified to include sea lamprey as a qualifying feature (201 1). Lamprey survey ofthe Endrick Water
ofthe SAC. SSSI/SAC 2008. ScottishNaturalHeritage
CommissionedReportNo. 320.
REFERENCES
APEM. (2004). Distribution of sea, brook and river
lampreys on the River Tay. Scottish Natural
Heritage Commissioned Report No 032 (ROAME
A
No. F01AC610). record ofthe aurochs, Bos
Bird, D.J., Potter, I.C., Hardisty, M.W. & Baker, B.I. primigenius, from Morayshire
(1994). Morphology, body size and behaviour of
recently-metamorphosed sea lampreys, Petromyzon Andrew C. Kitchener' & John Doune^
marimis, from the lower River Severn, and their
relevance to the onset ofparasitic feeding. Journal 'Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums
ofFish Biology’44, 61-1A. Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EHl IJF
Bond, L. (2003). The Endrick Water cSAC ^Damaway Castle, Forres, Morayshire IV36 2ST
conservation strategy. Conserving Natura 2000
Rivers. English Nature, Peterborough.
E-mail: [email protected]
Ecological Research Associates (ERA). (2005). A
national lamprey survey of Scotland. Report for
ScottishNationalHeritage, Clydebank.
In May 2004 two horn cores attached to the frontal
Forth Fisheries Foundation (2004). River and brook
lamprey monitoring of the Endrick Water bone of a skull (Fig. 1) were discovered at the
bottom of the main drainage ditch in the northeast
cSAC/SSSl. Scottish Natural Heritage
Commissioned Report No 057. (ROAME No. comer ofArdgye Fann, three miles west ofElgin in
Morayshire (Grid Reference NJl55638). These horn
F03AC607).
& cores were recovered by Martin Bridges, the Moray
Gardiner, R., Taylor, R. Araistrong, J. (1995).
Estates fann manager, and were sent to the National
Habitat assessment of survey of lamprey
Museums Scotland for identification and
populations occuiTing in areas of conservation
conservation. Comparison with specimens in the
iFnitsehreersit.es RReespeoarrtchtSoervSiccoetst,isRhepoNrattuNroal4/9H5e.ritage. NMS collection confinned that the horn cores were
Gardiner, R. & Stewart, D. (1997). Spawning habitat from an aurochs. Bos primigenius. From their size
and shape the hom cores were probably from a male.
assessment and survey of lamprey populations The left hom core measures 700 mm on the outside
occurring in areas of conseiwation interest.
ofthe curve and 550 cm on the inside ofthe curve,
GardFiinsehre,riRe.s&SerSvtiecweasrtR,epDo.r(t19to99S)N.HS.urvey ofthe Blane whereas the right hom mcomre measures 670 mm on the
outside curve and 570 on the inside curve. The
HardWdiaestvteeyr,l.opFMmi.esWnhet.riien(s1t9Rh6ee9s)ea.amrmAcohcoSceeontm’epiascreiossfRoetnhpeoorlftantgodolSnoNacHdka.eld b(raisgahlt)cairncdu3m4fe0rmenmces(leoftf).thAe bhoonme scaormepslearweas35s0enmtmto
and anadromous forms of the sea lamprey, SUERC, East Kilbride, where it yielded a
radiocarbon date of 9690 ± 35 BP and a calibrated
P1e5t3-r1o6m6y.zon marinus L. Journal ofFish Biology 2, date of1 1,120-1 1,260 BP (SUERC-20754).
Calendar dates are increasingly underestimated by
Hume, J.B. (2011). Adult lamprey survey of the
Endrick Water SSSI and SAC 2009-2010. Scottish increasingly earlier radiocarbon dates (Lowe and
NaturalHeritage CommissionedReportNo. 480. Walker, 1997). This is because the amount of
Hunter, W.R., Slack, H.D. & Hunter, M.R. (1959). The radiocarbon in the atmosphere has not been constant
over time. Uncalibrated dates can be corrected using a
lower vertebrates ofthe Loch Lomond District. The
calibration curve that is derived from samples that have
GlasgowNaturalist 18: 84-90.
been dated independently with other methods such as
Maitland, P.S. (1966). Thefauna ofthe River Endrick.
uranium time series, dendrochronology, varves and
Glasgow, Blackie.
Maitland, P.S., Morris, K.H. & East, K. (1994). The deep ocean sediment cores.
ecology oflampreys (Petromyzontidae) in the Loch The aurochs is widely recorded in Scotland and the rest
of Britain. Yalden (1999) records 30 Scottish sites
Lomond area. Hydrohiologia 290: 105-120.
Renaud, C.B. (2011). Lampreys of the world. An ranging from Orkney to Berwick in the south east and
New Galloway in the south west. However, most
annotated and illustrated catalogue of lamprey
species known to date. FAO Species Cataloguefor Trheecroerfdosraer,etfhresoemhthoemBocrordeesrsrewpirtehseantfeowneinofPetrhtheshmiorset.
FisheryPurposes. No. 5. Rome, FAO, 109pp.
Watt, J., Ravenscroft, N.O.M. & Seed, M. (2008). Site northerly records in Scotland.
condition monitoring of lamprey in the River Tay
There are few radiocarbon dates for aurochs in
Special Area of Conservation. Scottish Natural &
Scotland. Kitchener Bonsall (1999) give five dates,
138