''Mordacia lapicida'', also known as the Chilean lamprey, is a species of
southern topeyed lamprey endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to southern
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, where it can be found in riverine and marine habitats. This species is
anadromous. This
parasitic
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
lamprey can reach a length of
SL. Ammocoetes and adults of this species are found in rivers, and occur in fine sand along river banks. The life cycle of a Mordacia lapicida is divided into three life stages: freshwater rearing, an ocean parasite and an adult spawning stage. Once in the adult stage, individuals migrate into marine waters where they attack and attach themselves to marine fishes.
References
lapicida
Fish of the Pacific Ocean
Fish of Chile
Endemic fauna of Chile
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Fish described in 1851
Taxa named by John Edward Gray
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