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Pouched Lamprey Rare NATIVE SPECIES Common Name Pouched lamprey Rare Scientific Name Geotria australis Gray, 1851 Photo: Neil Armstrong Photo: Neil Identification Medium sized, slender and elongated, with a scaleless, eel-like body. Adults are commonly 500–700 mm long in freshwater situations (larger than the Short-headed lamprey). Two, low dorsal fins are situated well back on the body near the rounded caudal fin, and paired Hammer Photo: Michael pectoral and pelvic fins are absent. Lampreys lack jaws; instead adults have a well-developed suctorial oral disc with blunt teeth in irregular The larval juvenile life phase (ammocete) is spirals. Fimbriae (fringing filaments) are usually less than 120 mm long, worm-like, present surrounding the oral disc (absent lacks eyes and tooth plates, and the dorsal in Short-headed lamprey), and the eyes of fins are very low, not extending very far above adults are lateral in position (rather than the body surface. Sandy-brown to blue in dorsolateral in Short-headed lamprey). Adults colour, these ammocetes are darker on the and ammocetes both have seven small oval gill dorsal surface. They can be distinguished from apertures on each side of the body behind the ammocetes of the Short-headed lamprey by head. During the spawning run, adult males the position of the vent, which is below the develop a large pouch below the head. Newly start of the second dorsal fin. metamorphosed young adults are bright silvery with blue bands along the back. The Biology and Habitat bands persist throughout the marine phase and early in the return to freshwaters, before Little is known of the species’ ecology in fading and disappearing, leaving the adults a the Basin, so information below is drawn muddy grey-brown. from studies in Western Australia. Most of the adult life is spent at sea. Young adults 30 FISHES OF THE MURRAY-DARLING BASIN AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE 31 ID VALLEY 1 Avoca 2 Border Rivers 3 Broken 4 Campaspe 5 Castlereagh 6 Central Murray 7 Condamine 8 Darling 9 Goulburn 10 Gwydir 11 Kiewa 12 Lachlan 13 Loddon 14 Lower Murray 15 Macquarie 16 Mitta Mitta 17 Murrumbidgee 18 Namoi 19 Ovens 20 Paroo 21 Upper Murray 22 Warrego 23 Wimmera migrate upstream from the sea, usually in Distribution and Abundance mid-winter, to breed. The spawning run can Generally restricted to the lower Murray River involve distances of hundreds of kilometres, in the Basin, but otherwise found in coastal and like the Short-headed lamprey is thought rivers in Vic, SA, Tas and WA. This species is to be mainly by nocturnal movements. The now rarely recorded in the Basin because of its spawning run lasts for about 15–16 months, cryptic habits, but could formerly be seen in before spawning the following spring. large numbers on spawning runs in the lower Ammocetes are sedentary, and live in soft Murray at migration barriers such as weirs. substrates (mud and silt) for about 4.25 There are recent records of this species in SA years, before metamorphosing (at around 80– from below the Goolwa Barrage and in the 120 mm length) and migrating down to the Lower Lakes. sea, usually in late winter. Details of spawning are not known but spawning probably occurs Potential Threats in headwater streams and adults probably die Barriers to fish movement can interfere with after spawning. Females lay on average 58,000 spawning migrations, although the species can eggs, which are small (~1.1 mm diameter). climb wet vertical surfaces. The ammocetes are toothless, probably feeding on algae, detritus and micro-organisms General References filtered from the water. After metamorphosis Allen et al. 2002; Cadwallader & Backhouse to adulthood, they become parasitic on other 1983; Hammer 2004; Hardisty et al. 1986; fish, rasping a hole in the side and feeding on Koehn & O’Connor 1990; Potter 1996b; blood and/or muscle. Adults cease feeding Potter et al. 1996; Wedderburn & Hammer prior to their spawning migration. 2003. 30 FISHES OF THE MURRAY-DARLING BASIN AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE 31 Published by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission Postal address: GPO Box 409, Canberra ACT 2601 Office location: Level 3, 51 Allara Street, Canberra City ACT Telephone: (02) 6279 0100, international + 61 2 6279 0100 Facsimile: (02) 6248 8053, international + 61 2 6248 8053 Email: [email protected] Internet: http://www.mdbc.gov.au For further information contact the Murray-Darling Basin Commission office on (02) 6279 0100 This fish fact sheet is an extract derived from the report: Lintermans, M. 2007, Fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin: An introductory guide. MDBC Publication No. 10/07 ISBN 1 921257 20 2 © Murray-Darling Basin Commission 2007 This work is copyright. Graphical and textual information in the work (with the exception of photographs, artwork and the MDBC logo) may be stored, retrieved and reproduced in whole or in part provided the information is not sold or used for commercial benefit and its source (Fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin) is acknowledged. Such reproduction includes fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968. Reproduction for other purposes is prohibited without the permission of the Murray- Darling Basin Commission or the individual photographers and artists with whom copyright applies. To extent permitted by law, the copyright holders (including its employees and consultants) exclude all liability to any person for any consequences, including but not limited to all losses, damages, costs, expenses and any other compensation, arising directly or indirectly from using this report (in part or whole) and any information or material contained in it. ii FISHES OF THE MURRAY-DARLING BASIN.
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