Date of Award

9-19-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Biology, MS

First Advisor

Ronald Johnson

Committee Members

Brook Fluker; Richard Grippo

Call Number

LD 251 .A566t 2016 S25

Abstract

Most native North American lamprey species are imperiled in some manner, but are curiously understudied. The research described in this thesis addresses the adult feeding biology of the Chestnut Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon castaneus), a freshwater parasitic lamprey native to the southeastern United States. This thesis addresses Chestnut Lamprey attachment site selection and size-selective parasitism of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in an outdoor laboratory setting, as well as Chestnut Lamprey host usage and distribution in Arkansas. Approximately 75% of the 80 wounded Rainbow Trout studied were attacked in their dorsal mid-section. Chestnut Lampreys were found to select shorter hosts, with no mass selectivity. Field sampling via boat electrofishing found evidence of Chestnut Lampreys in seven of the twelve streams studied. A preponderance of the Chestnut Lampreys and their wounded hosts were captured in northern Arkansas.

Rights Management

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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