Riverine Fish

Ohio is blessed with an abundance of water, but like all developing areas, past and present land use practices affect our water resources.

Land uses that allow soil to runoff into our waterways cause silting of streams and increased turbidity, which can result in a lower quality of water and thus a loss in the diversity of aquatic organisms.

Fish have specific habitat requirements, thus the health of a fish community can tell us a great deal about the quality of the waterway where they reside.

Riverine Fish of Ohio's Scenic Rivers

Least Brook Lamprey (Lampetra aepyptera)

least brook lampreyThis small nonparasitic lamprey is one of six species of lampreys native to Ohio. Seldom exceeding seven inches in length they are eagerly sought by stream fishermen in southern Ohio for use as bait and many localized populations have been depleted or eliminated as a result.

Least brook lampreys are primarily found in the smaller high gradient streams in the unglaciated part of Ohio and in those counties fronting the glacial boundary.

They spend most of their lives as ammocoetes (juvenile form) buried in deposits of sand and organic debris where they filter oxygen and nutrients from the water. This aspect of their life history makes them especially sensitive to the effects of siltation as they are easily suffocated.

mouth of a least brook lampreyMany populations have been destroyed by acid mine drainage and siltation from nonpoint runoff. Juvenile lampreys transform into adults during late fall and early winter.

In the spring of the year, usually early April in Ohio, adults move onto gravelly riffles where nests are constructed and spawning occurs. Adults die shortly after spawning and it is only during this short spawning run that their presence in a stream will be detected by the casual observer.