Northern brook lamprey (Ichthyomyzon fossor) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 11
Technical Summary: Great Lakes – Upper St. Lawrence Biogeographic Area
Ichthyomyzon fossor
Northern brook lamprey – Lamproie du nord
Range of Occurrence in Canada:
Ontario, Quebec (Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence Biogeographic Area)
Extent and Area Information
Extent of occurrence (EO) (km²) – based on Figure 2
280,000km²
Specify trend in EO
Stable
Are there extreme fluctuations in EO?
No
Area of occupancy (AO) (km²) – based on Table 1 (sum of stream widths × occupied lengths)
>26 <31 km²
Specify trend in AO
Declining
Are there extreme fluctuations in AO?
No
Number of known or inferred current locations
36 streams
Specify trend in #
Declining (11 streams no longer occupied since 1960-1989 time period, seven new streams documented since 1990; three in Ontario and four in Quebec)
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of locations?
No
Specify trend in area, extent or quality of habitat
Now stable
Population Information
Generation time (average age of parents in the population)
6 years
Number of mature individuals
Unknown
Total population trend:
Declining
% decline over the last/next 10 years or 3 generations.
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of mature individuals?
No
Is the total population severely fragmented?
No
Specify trend in number of populations
3 of 9 streams not documented in Lake Superior basin in the last 15 years (roughly three generations)
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of populations?
List populations with number of mature individuals in each:
Threats (actual or imminent threats to populations or habitats)
Lampricide treatments of populations co-existing with sea lamprey larvae, stream barriers impeding gene flow, sedimentation.
Rescue Effect (immigration from an outside source)
Status of outside population(s)?
USA: Stable [other jurisdictions or agencies]
Is immigration known or possible?
Possible, but unlikely due to non-migratory behaviour
Would immigrants be adapted to survive in Canada?
Yes
Is there sufficient habitat for immigrants in Canada?
Yes
Is rescue from outside populations likely?
No
Other Status
COSEWIC: Special Concern (1991)
Classified as S2 (imperiled) in Manitoba, S3 (vulnerable) in Ontario and Quebec.
Status: Special Concern
Alpha numeric Code: not applicable
Reason for Designation: This nonparasitic lamprey is distributed in streams throughout the Great Lakes basin (except Lake Ontario) and in southwestern Quebec. In the Great Lakes basin, which comprises most of its range, about 50% of the streams it is known to inhabit are subjected to ongoing chemical treatment for sea lamprey control which causes mortality to its larval stage. However, in untreated streams, the species is still abundant.
Applicability of Criteria
- Criterion A: Not met.
- Criterion B: Not met.
- Criterion C: Not met.
- Criterion D: Not met.
- Criterion E: Not met.