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Chlidonias

macrophthalmia of pouched lamprey (Geotria australis)

a native lamprey of New Zealand, also found in Australia and southern South America. Lampreys have three stages to their life-cycle. The first stage after hatching is the ammocoete, coloured muddy greyish-brown, which lives burrowed into the substrate in freshwater and is a filter-feeder. The following stage four to five years later is the macrophthalmia (pictured here) which is much more colourful. It migrates downstream to the ocean where it remains for another three or four years, feeding as a blood-sucking parasite on larger fish, before coming back to freshwater to spawn and then die. When they migrate back to freshwater the adults turn from silver and blue to a drab brown. Photo taken 6 July 2010. The macrophthalmia in this photo is about 10cm long. Adults grow up to 75cm. Photo of an adult is here: http://www.zoochat.com/399/nz-pouched-lamprey-geotria-australis-30665/

macrophthalmia of pouched lamprey (Geotria australis)
Chlidonias, 8 Jul 2010
    • Chlidonias
      a native lamprey of New Zealand, also found in Australia and southern South America. Lampreys have three stages to their life-cycle. The first stage after hatching is the ammocoete, coloured muddy greyish-brown, which lives burrowed into the substrate in freshwater and is a filter-feeder. The following stage four to five years later is the macrophthalmia (pictured here) which is much more colourful. It migrates downstream to the ocean where it remains for another three or four years, feeding as a blood-sucking parasite on larger fish, before coming back to freshwater to spawn and then die. When they migrate back to freshwater the adults turn from silver and blue to a drab brown.

      Photo taken 6 July 2010.

      The macrophthalmia in this photo is about 10cm long. Adults grow up to 75cm. Photo of an adult is here: http://www.zoochat.com/399/nz-pouched-lamprey-geotria-australis-30665/
      8 Jul 2010
    • Charizard
      Yeah, the link says no thread specified...
      18 May 2016
    • Chlidonias
      that's because a lot of photos were lost from the galleries in a purge, and that one was amongst them.
      18 May 2016
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  • Category:
    Southern Encounter Aquarium and Kiwi House (Closed)
    Uploaded By:
    Chlidonias
    Date:
    8 Jul 2010
    View Count:
    3,103
    Comment Count:
    3

    EXIF Data

    File Size:
    167.4 KB
    Mime Type:
    image/jpeg
    Width:
    1600px
    Height:
    1064px
    Aperture:
    f/16.0
    Make:
    PENTAX Corporation
    Model:
    PENTAX *ist DL
    Date / Time:
    2010:07:06 11:30:07
    Exposure Time:
    1/60 sec
    ISO Speed Rating:
    ISO 400
    Focal Length:
    55 mm
     

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