Distribution, larval stage duration and growth of the sea lamprey ammocoetes, Petromyzon marinus L., in a highly modified river basin

Larval stage duration of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, in the River Mondego is estimated to last for 4 years. The number of annuli provides reliable age estimates when compared with length-frequency distributions analysis. The growth rate of the sea lamprey ammocoetes displays strong seasonal patterns, and reaches its highest value during the first 2 years of larval stage. About 69% of the length increment between hatching and metamorphosis is attained at the end of the second year. There is a longitudinal gradient associated with ammocoete distribution along the river. Relative abundance of ammocoetes decreases downstream from the Acude-Ponte dam, the first obstruction encountered by the adult sea lampreys in their upstream spawning migration along the River Mondego.