Laboratory Study of Growth and Interspecific Competition in Larval Lampreys

Abstract We maintained larvae of sea lampreys Petromyzon marinus and least brook lampreys Lampetra aepyptera for I year at various proportions of the two species. Growth, measured as a change in length and weight, mortality, and incidence of metamorphosis were independent of species proportion in both species. Neither species was a superior competitor; interspecific competition appeared to act similarly to intraspecific competition.