River and brook lamprey monitoring of the Endrick Water SAC SSSI, 2003/04

Citation

Description

Lamprey ammocoetes were encountered at 17 of the 18 sites and the maximum density encountered was 24m 2 at Catter Farm on the Endrick Water. Lamprey transformers were encountered at 10 of the 18 sites with a maximum density of 2.46m 2 at Quinloch Bridge on the Blane Water. Lampetra spp. transformers were recorded from 10 of the 16 survey sites. Brook lamprey transformers were recorded from each of the 10 sites supporting transformers. Two river lamprey transformers were recorded, one at Buchanan Old House Bridge on the Endrick Water and one at Quinloch Bridge on the Blane Water. Other fish species encountered were Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), trout (Salmo trutta), stone loach (Barbatula barbatula), minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus), eel (Anguilla anguilla), 3 spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), gudgeon (Gobio gobio), roach (Rutilus rutilus) and dace (Leuciscus leuciscus).

Purpose

To assess the distribution and abundance of lamprey. The three lamprey species present in UK (brook lamprey Lampetra planeri, river lamprey L. fluviatilis and sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus) are listed on Annex IIa of the Habitats Directive, reflecting concern over widespread declines across their European range. Five Scottish rivers known to hold good populations of lampreys have been selected as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSAC).

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