The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-12-22
SEA LAMPREYS
in COLLECTION
AT NY. MUSEUM
7 Associate Curator Stumbles
Upon Interesting Facts in
Science
MAKES MODEL WHEN HE
DISCOVERS NESTING PAIR
Young of the Species Always
Heretofore Considered a
Distinct Breed
Young of the Species Always
Heretofore Considered a
Distinct Breed

Three sea lampreys building a
nest, modelled from an actual occur
renee under a bridge that crosses the
NissequAgue river at smithtown. l.
l.. have been added 70 the hall o;
nshes in the American Museum Of
Natural History
The exhibit shows q most curious
form OF life yet existing and near
home While the lamprey lives In
the water, IL Is neither fish nor eel.
It's habitat is Ghe' sea, but II breeds
only In fresh water. and the act 6f
nest-building is SO strenuous that
those who perform Il rarely sur
vive. and the young are 80 unlike
the old that until lately they were
mistaken for different species. They
reach adult growth In about four
: years. during which their outer form
nndergoes complete change and
then they plough OF into the depths
Only those that breed ever reappear.
DR. Louis Hussakof. associate cur
ator of fishes. found the present ex-
hibit In life and has prepared the
models now shown He made his
studies at Smithtown and located
large nest among the pebbles di-
rectly under the bridge partly be
meath halt submerged log HIS
hall group represents te iampreys
at work IN a clear shallow stream,
close TO the bank
The specimens obtained AS models
were found III tail grass along the
bank, where they had crept In 10 die
Or. Hussakof says that In nest-build-
ing they infict wounds upon each
other with their rasping teeth.
heterogeneous attack the wounds
and. in their weakened condition
the iampreys cannot resist the in
roads OF disease and soon succumb
This creature is about three feet
long, and In general contour resem-
''les the eel II has suctOrial
mouth, with which ii does its work
Two or three go nest-ouilding to-
gether Having selected a shallow
spot with pebble bottom, che lamp
rey proceeds TO root up and trans
port the pebbles, with It's mouth
alone, lifting a pebble from the bot
tom. carrying IL out OF the proposed
nest. and then returning for another.
Sometimes, instead of carrying the
pebble out. il charges head-on
against it and pushes IL up the In
cline and out OF the nest. DR.. Hus-
sakof picked up half brick as II
was released by lamprey after be-
ing tugged out OF the nest.
The building continues. until cir
cular depression is made In the river
bottom, about three feet across and
few inches deep at the center. Into
this depression the eggs are scatter
ed. They are about one-twenty-
fourth OF an inch in diameter, pear
shaped, and so much like sand grains
that only practiced eye can detect
them They hatch in fortnight,
long after the nest has been desert
cd and scattered by the flow OF the
river.
The young live in burrows in the
river bed. feeding on micro-organ-
Isms. External changes in tho
course OF three or four years develop
eyes, notifications ia the form OF
mouth. produce gills and several
other organs. Internal transforma-
ton also occurs When the crea-
ture thus becomes a full-hedged lam
prey IL migrates 10 the sea Another
three or four years passes before II
reaches maturity and is ready TO re-
visit fresh water stream for the
purpose of spawning.