Tetrapleurodon spadiceus (Bean, 1887:374)
Chapala lamprey, Mexican lamprey, Lamprea De Chapala
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Lampetra spadicea Bean, 1887:374 (basionym)
Conservation Status
Missing (Snoeks et al., 2019)
Last record: 1987 (Snoeks et al., 2019)
IUCN RedList status: Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)
Distribution & Habitat
Mexico (Celio, Duero and Lerma rivers; Lago de Chapala (=Lake Chapala) & connecting stretch of Rio Grande de Santiago)
Biology & Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous (Froese & Pauly, 2026)
Hypodigm
Holotype: USNM 38005 (Renaud, 2011:83)
Other specimens:
UMMZ 192539 (collected 20 June 1969) (Renaud, 2011:83)
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Bean, T. H. (1887). Descriptions of five new species of fishes sent by Prof. A. Dugès from the Province of Guanajuato, Mexico. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 10(637): 370-375.
Other references:
Álvarez del Villar, J. (1966). Ictiologia michoacana, IV. Contribución al conocimiento biológico y sistemático de las lampreas de Jacona, Mich., México. An. Esc. Nac. Cienc. Biol. Mex. 13(1-4): 107-144.
Castro-Aguirre, J. L., Espinosa Pérez, H. and Schmitter-Soto, J. J. (1999). Ictiofauna estuarino-lagunar y vicaria de México. Mexico City: Noriega-Limusa, IPN. 711 pp.
Cochran, P. A., Lyons, J. and Merino-Nambo, E. (1996). Notes on the biology of the Mexican lampreys Lampetra spadicea and L. geminis (Agnatha: Petromyzontidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 7(2): 173-180.
Dean, E.M., A.R. Cooper, L. Wang, W. Daniel, S. David, C. Ernzen, K.B. Gido, E Hale, T.J. Haxton, W. Kelso, N. Leonard, C. Lido, J. Margraf, M. Porter, C. Pennock, D. Propst, J. Ross, M.D. Staudinger, G. Whelan and D.M. Infante, (2022). The North American Freshwater Migratory Fish Database (NAFMFD): Characterizing the migratory life histories of freshwater fishes of Canada, the United States of Mexico. J. Biogeography 49(6): 1193-1203. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14367 [Supporting Information]
Espinosa Pérez, H., Gaspar Dillanes, M. T. and Fuentes Mata, P. (1993). Listados faunísticos de México. III. Los peces dulceacuícolas Mexicanos. Univ. Nacional Autónoma de México. 1-98 + map.
Fricke, Ron, Eschmeyer, William N. and Van der Laan, Richard (eds.). (2026). Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Genera, Species, References. Electronic version of 7 July 2026. Available at: https://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp [Accessed 26 July 2026]
Fricke, Ron, Reséndiz López, M. A. and Oseguera Rodríguez, A. S. (2024). Fishes and Lampreys of Mexico: An annotated checklist. CONABIO, Ciudad de México: 1-863.
Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel (eds.). (2026). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. Version 02/2026. Available at: https://www.fishbase.org [Accessed 26 July 2026]
Gill, H. S., Renaud, C. B., Chapleau, F., Mayden, R. L. and Potter, I. C. (2003). Phylogeny of living parasitic lampreys (Petromyzontiformes) based on morphological data. Copeia 2003(4): 687-703. https://doi.org/10.1643/IA02-085.1
Herrera, A. L. (1896). No. 6. Catálogo de la colección de peces del Museo Nacional. Muceo nacional, [Ciudad de] México, i-ii + 1-88.
Khidir, K. T. and Renaud, C. B. (2003). Oral fimbriae and papillae in parasitic lampreys (Petromyzontiformes). Environ. Biol. Fish. 66(3): 271-278.
Lyons, J., Polaco, O. J. and Cochran, P. A. (1996). Morphological variation among the Mexican lampreys (Petromyzontidae: Lampetra: subgenus Tetrapleurodon). Southwestern Naturalist v. 41 (no. 4): 365-374. [In English, with Spanish abstract]
Miller, R. R., Minkley, W. L. and Norris, S. M. (2006 '2005'). Freshwater Fishes of México. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press. xxv + 490 pp. + 99 pls. [19 January 2006 fide Scharpf 2007:5]
Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea and J. D. Williams. (2004). Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Sixth Edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29. Bethesda, Maryland. Sixth Ed.: i-ix + 1-386 [Includes a CD]
Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H. S. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neighbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto and H. J. Walker Jr. (2023). Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication No. 37: i-vii + 1-439.
Page, L. M., Espinosa-Pérez, H., Findley, L. D., Gilbert, C. R., Lea, R. N., Mandrak, N. E., Mayden, R. L. and Nelson, J. S. (2013). Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh Edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34. I + xii + 1-384.
Renaud, Claude B. (2011). Lampreys of the world: An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lamprey species known to date. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 5. Rome, FAO. i-vi + 109 pp. [pp. 83-84]
Scharpf, Christopher. (2005). Annotated checklist of North American freshwater fishes, including subspecies and undescribed forms. Part I: Petromyzontidae through Cyprinidae. American Currents 31(4): 1-44.
Scharpf, Christopher. (2007). Annotated checklist of North American freshwater fishes, including subspecies and undescribed forms. Part III: Atherinopsidae ... [through] Synbranchidae. American Currents 33(4): 1-40.
Snoeks, J., Lalèyè, P. and Contreras MacBeath, T. (2019). Tetrapleurodon spadiceus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T169396A132675777. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T169396A132675777.en. Accessed on 31 July 2022.
Vladykov, V. D. and Kott, E. (1976). The taxonomic significance of velar tentacles in Holarctic lampreys (Petromyzonidae). Rev. Trav. Off. Pech. Marit. 40(3-4): 787-789.
Vladykov, V. D. and Kott, E. (1979). List of Northern Hemisphere lampreys (Petromyzonidae) and their distribution. Department of Fisheries and Oceans Miscellaneous Special Publication 42: 30 pp.
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