A new nonparasitic species of Holarctic lamprey, genus Eudontomyzon Regan 1911 (Petromyzontidae), from Greece

Abstract

A nonparasitic lamprey, E. hellenicus sp. nov., from the Struma and Louros river basins in Greece, is described and illustrated. The holotype (No. NMC 77-1773) is deposited in the National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa, Canada. From all species of the same genus, E. hellenicus differs in the following characters: small metamorphosed size (maximum total length (TL) 159 mm), fewer trunk myomeres (52-62, averaging 57.4), poorly developed lingual laminae cusps, short and few (2-5) velar tentacles and extremely short urogenital papilla, even in spawning males. A nonfunctional intestinal tract in metamorphosed individuals of this species separates it from parasitic E. danfordi. The description is based on a study of 64 metamorphosed specimens, 13 transforming individuals and 237 ammocoetes.