Morphological analysis of geographic variation of sea lamprey ammocoetes in Portuguese river basins

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2008

Authors

Pedro Almeida (Author) Other; Tomaz, G (Author) Other; Andrade, NO (Author) Other; Quintella, BR (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Hydrobiologia

Vol. 602

Pages: 47-59

ISSN: 0018-8158

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 9 Citations

Scopus - 18 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-ZP0

DOI: 10.1007/s10750-008-9285-4

Abstract (EN): The main objective of this study was to compare the morphological variability of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus L.) larvae from the main Portuguese river basins. Samples were collected in rivers Minho, Lima, Cavado, Vouga, Mondego, Tejo and Guadiana. Specimens were analysed in terms of morphometric (linear body measures) and meristic (number of myomeres) characters to investigate the hypothesis of population fragmentation between river basins caused by some degree of homing behaviour. The discriminant analysis showed a morphological segregation of the studied populations based on the characters head, tail and branchial length. The discriminatory power of the meristic characters was comparatively weaker, with the number of trunk myomeres, and to some extent the head myomeres, being responsible for the reduced separation between groups. Both analyses were consistent in identifying the cephalic region as the most important morphological feature to discriminate populations of sea lamprey larvae in the Portuguese territory. The largest cephalic region of the ammocoetes sampled in the northern river basins may be responsible for a better feeding efficiency and, consequently, higher values of condition factor.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13