Revalidation of the Argentinian pouched lamprey Geotria macrostoma (Burmeister, 1868) with molecular and morphological evidence (original) (raw)
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2021
The pouched lamprey, Geotria australis Gray, 1851, has long been considered monotypic in the Geotriidae family with a wide southern temperate distribution across Australasia and South America. Recent studies have provided molecular and morphological evidence for a second Geotria species in South America; Geotria macrostoma (Burmeister, 1868). The aim of this study was to determine morphometric and physical characteristics of adult G. macrostoma that further differentiate this re-instated species of Geotriidae from G. australis. The diagnostic features discriminating immature adult G. macrostoma from G. australis when entering fresh water, are distinct differences in dentition, oral papillae and fimbriae counts and differences in coloration. In addition, G. macrostoma display greater growth of the prebranchial region and oral disc and has a deeper body depth and higher condition factor. All current ecological knowledge of the genus Geotria is based on Australasian populations, which ...
Introduction: A Surfeit of Lampreys
Lampreys: Biology, Conservation and Control, 2014
Lampreys have long been the food of kings. They have been highly appreciated by the English monarchy and upper classes since medieval times, and long before that, by the ancient Romans, the Māori, and Native Americans. Historically, lampreys have also received attention from at least a small group of anatomists and other scientists (including Sigmund Freud), given their "lofty" status at the base of the vertebrate family tree (and their wonderfully large reticulospinal neurons that are so amenable to experimental manipulation). Research related to lamprey biology increased in the 1950s in support of sea lamprey control in the Laurentian Great Lakes, and these efforts considerably advanced our understanding of lamprey ecology, behavior, and chemical communication. Recently, lampreys have started getting more widespread attention. Research related to lamprey endocrinology ( particularly the pivotal hypothalamic-pituitary axis and gonadotropin-releasing hormones), the ecology and conservation of native lampreys, and the use of lampreys in evolutionary developmental (evo-devo) and biomedical studies has raised the profile of this group of ancient fishes. Lampreys are providing important and promising model systems in our quest to better understand the early evolutionary history of the vertebratesparticularly given the recent publication of the complete sea lamprey genome-and their increasing use in biomedical research is providing insights into treatment for people suffering from blood coagulation disorders, biliary atresia, hemochromatosis, and spinal cord injuries. In this introduction to Vols. 1 and 2 of Lampreys: Biology, Conservation and Control, we provide a broad perspective on the cultural, ecological, and scientific importance of lampreys, outline some historical trends in lamprey research, and celebrate the growing interest-among scientists and laypeople-in this previously underappreciated group of fishes.