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«ENDANGERED SPECIES»

IN SEVER DO VOUGA

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Legenda: 1. Cedrim do Vouga 2. Couto Esteves 3. Dornelas 4. Paradela do Vouga 5. Pessegueiro do Vouga 6. Rocas do Vouga 7. Sever do Vouga 8. Silva Escura 9. Talhadas

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«Petromyzon Marinus or Lampreys»

(sometimes also called lamprey

eels)

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Lampreys

Are a family of jawless

fish, whose adults are

characterized by a toothed,

funnel-like sucking mouth.

Translated from a mixture of Latin

and Greek, lamprey means stone lickers

(lambere: to lick, and petra: stone).

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In zoology, lampreys are sometimes

not considered to be true fish because of

their distinctive morphology

and physiology.

The lampreys are the basal group of

Vertebrata (hagfishes are actually not

vertebrates, but craniates).

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Morphology

Adults physically resemble eels, in that they

have no scales, and can range anywhere from

13 to 100 centimeters (5 to 40 inches) long.

Lacking paired fins, adult lampreys have large

eyes, one nostril on the top of the head, and

seven gill pores on each side of the head.

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Curiosity

Lampreys are called

"nine-eyed eels" (i.e., per

side) from a counting of

their seven external gill

slits on a side with one

eye and the nostril. A

German word for

lamprey is Neunauge,

which means "nine-eye".

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What do they eat?

They feed on prey as adults by

attaching their mouthparts to the target

animal's body, then using their teeth to

cut through surface tissues until they

reach blood and body fluid.

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Where do they live?

Lampreys live mostly in coastal and

fresh waters, although some species,

travel significant distances in the open

ocean, as evidenced by their lack of

reproductive isolation between

populations.

They are found in most temperate

regions except those in Africa.

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Uses: «Portuguese lamprey rice»

They were highly appreciated by

ancient Romans. Their taste is much meatier

than that of most true fish. King Henry I of

England is said to have died from eating "a

surfeit of lampreys". On March 4th,

1953, Queen Elizabeth's coronation pie was

made by the Royal Air Force using lampreys.

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Especially in southwestern Europe

(Portugal, Spain, and France), larger lampreys

are still a highly prized delicacy. Lampreys

are also consumed in Sweden, Finland,

Russia, the Baltic countries and South Korea.

In Britain, lampreys are commonly used

as bait, normally as dead bait.

Pike, perch and chub all can be caught on

lampreys. Frozen lampreys can be bought

from most bait and tackle shops.

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DAMS and ENDAGERED SPECIES

Rivers possess a delicate ecology that depends on

a regular cycle of disturbance within certain

tolerances. Dams disrupt this ecology.

There are several types of dams. 

Check dams 

Diversion dams

  Flood control dams 

Hydroelectric dams 

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- Check dams prevent flooding of small areas. 

- Diversion dams divert river water to irrigate

crops. Large dams may be built for flood control or

electrical generation, or both. 

- Flood control dams are often earth dams--

made of huge mounds of clay, sand, gravel, and

rock--but often made of concrete. 

- Hydroelectric dams are concrete marvels of

engineering. This section will examine mostly the

large dams: flood control and hydroelectric dams.

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DAM in SEVER DO VOUGA

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