A revised taxonomy and estimate of species diversity for western North American Lampetra

• Published in: Environmental biology of fishes Vol. 106; no. 5; pp. 817 - 836
• Main Authors: Carim, K. J., Larson, D. C., Helstab, J. M., Young, M. K., Docker, M. F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-05-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Ecotypes; Endangered & extinct species; Environment; Fish; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Gene flow; Genetic structure; Headwaters; Lampetra; Lampetra ayresii; Life Sciences; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial DNA; Nature Conservation; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Rivers; Species diversity; Taxonomic revision; Taxonomy; Vernacular names; Wildlife conservation; Zoology; North America; Willamette River; Phylogenetics; Lamprey; Species delimitation; Petromyzontidae; Conservation
• ISSN: 0378-1909; 1573-5133
• DOI: 10.1007/s10641-023-01397-y

Lampreys are an ancient lineage of jawless fish for which the relationships among some lineages are uncertain. We addressed these information gaps for
Lampetra
species with a focus on western North America. Phylogenetic analysis using all publicly available sequences of two mitochondrial genes—
cyt b
and
COI
—supported designation of western North American
Lampetra
as a distinct genus from
Lampetra
in Europe, Asia, and eastern North America. Species delimitation analysis of
cyt b
sequences identified seven species, only three of which are currently recognized.
Lampetra ayresii
and
L. richardsoni
, regarded as separate under the “paired species concept,” were not genetically distinct; we recommend synonymizing
L. richardsoni
with
L. ayresii
because the latter has precedence, yet continuing to recognize each ecotype using its current common name. Other than the widespread
L. ayresii
clade, all other species exhibited limited ranges often restricted to one or two locations. Within headwaters of the Willamette River,
L. ayresii
demonstrated strong genetic structure and lack of gene flow among subbasins, indicating that the subbasin scale may represent an appropriate management unit. However, the appropriate management scale in other areas may differ based on evolutionary histories and gene flow. Subsequent work is needed across western North America to better delineate the ranges of the aforementioned species and to evaluate whether other unrecognized taxa in this lineage may be present.