Age Validation for the Mountain Brook Lamprey, Ichthyomyzon greeleyi

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Abstract
Larval mountain brook lamprey, Ichthyomyzon greeleyi, were collected from Bent Creek in western North Carolina to provide information on the age structure of the population and to validate statolith banding patterns as an aging technique. Larvae were injected with oxytetracycline in winter and held in the laboratory at seasonally adjusted temperatures for 1 yr. Statoliths from these larvae were examined over the course of the study for the presence and persistence of oxytetracycline, and banding patterns which appeared after marking. Oxytetracycline persisted in all statoliths over the course of the study, and one complete annulus was formed on each statolith during the winter period when growth was slow. The larval period of I. greeleyi commences after hatching in late June and persists for 4.2–5.2 yr, with the oldest individuals being predominantly female.