Shows a young-of-year sturgeon laying on a boat rail overlooking the water.
It's the final day of #GarWeek / #AncientFishesWeek, and we're sending you out with another White sturgeon post. Thanks to @solomonrdavid.bsky.social and @garlab.bsky.social for this amazing mashup!
Shows a depiction of a Spike-toothed salmon from artist Ray Troll for a scientific paper that was published in April, 2024.
Yes, it's still #GarWeek / #AncientFishesWeek, but we're taking a quick detour to talk about Chum salmon and an ancient relative of theirs, the Spike-toothed salmon. Artist Ray Troll reconstructed the fish for a scientific paper published last April.
It's #GarWeek / #AncientFishesWeek, and we're talking lamprey. Michael Phelps they are not. Lamprey are not great swimmers compared to other fish, and they can't jump. So, there can be many obstacles to migration. Here are some problems and their solutions.
Shows an adult lamprey being eaten by aquatic insects.
Salmon aren't the only species that deliver Marine Derived Nutrients to our streams and forests. Lamprey also provide this service, and at no less a cost. Lampreys also die after spawning the next generation.
#AncientFishesWeek
Shows a pair of lamprey building a nest, or redd, for spawning.
If you've never seen a fish pick up a rock with its mouth and move it, you haven't lived. Lampreys will move substrate (river bottom materials) around to fashion nests, called redds, which in turn creates new habitat for other critters.
#AncientFishesWeek
Shows larval lampreys burrowing into the soil of a stream bottom.
You know the guy who has to poke holes in the golf course to aerate the greens to make them healthy? Well, lampreys are like that but for river bottoms.
#AncientFishesWeek
Shows lamprey suctioned onto glass.
Lampreys have sustained humans for tens of thousands of years.
#AncientFishesWeek
Shows various species of wildlife eating lampreys, including fish, crawdads, snakes and birds.
Everyone likes a good noodle dish, right? Think of lampreys as the noodle dish of the fish world.
#AncientFishesWeek
A slide showing an adult lamprey with some facts about lampreys in text.
It's #GarWeek, but gars aren't native to Oregon. You know what are native to Oregon? Lampreys are! So, let's celebrate #AncientFishesWeek with a look at some amazing fish that are vital to Oregon's aquatic ecosystems.
