Thursday January 18, 2024
PhysOrg —
Two potential new species of lamprey fish have been discovered in California waters, according to a University of California, Davis, study. The research is part of a special section on native lampreys published this week in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management.
The findings suggest that the ancient animal has far more diversity in California than once thought, which could have implications for managing these jawless fish. Lamprey species play a key role in the food chain as well as improving water quality and adding nutrients to waterways.
“We found diversity that has never been reported,” said Ph.D. candidate Grace Auringer, who is the lead author on the journal paper. “We found two groups of fish in Napa River and Alameda Creek that are very genetically different from other samples along the West Coast.”