In Minnesota, lakes tend to get all the credit (“land of 10,00 lakes” and all) so I wanted to make something highlighting rivers and the creatures that live in them. Each species was chosen from the state’s threatened, endangered, and special concern list, again trying to shed light on some overlooked gems. I know I was surprised and delighted to learn there are five native species of lamprey in Minnesota! I summarized a few fun facts for each species so read on to learn more:
1- Paddlefish – (Threatened) – Rely primarily on cartilage for structure, with very few bones. These filter feeders have a snout with special sensing abilities that likely helps them find zooplankton. Largest recorded fish was 7ft long!
2 – Mudpuppy – (Special Concern) – Mudpuppies (no relation to puppies) are a fully aquatic species of salamander. They can absorb oxygen through skin, lungs, AND (primarily) external gills. Only known host for the salamander mussel.
3 – Snuffbox Mussel – (Endangered) – They may look boring but mussel reproduction is wild! Females lure fish in and spit their babies out on fish gills. This allows a relatively immobile species to hitch a ride upstream. (12/10 recommend watching the Ze Frank YouTube video “True Facts: Mussels That Catch Fish”!) Federally endangered and the only species in the genus not presumed to be extinct.
4 – Northern Brook Lamprey – (Special Concern) – Did you know MN has FIVE native species of lamprey?? You may have heard of the non-native sea lamprey in Lake Superior which have been a menace but don’t let that influence your view of all lamprey. Northern Brook Lamprey are non-parasitic and do not feed as adults. Lamprey are dino-fish that have been around for 240M years and this particular species has been living in Minnesota since the last ice age (10,000 years).
5 – St Criox Snaketail Dragonfly – (Threatened) – Not discovered as a species until 1993. The only known population in the midwest lives in (surprise!) the St Croix River though there is also a disjunct population on the East Coast.
6 – Smooth Soft Shell Turtle – (Special Concern) – These guys like to bury themselves in the sand and ambush fish + amphibians. They can also gas exchange through the skin on their necks.
7 – Black Buffalo – (Threatened) – Can live to be over 100 years old!! Benthic feeder. Not a large fluffy mammal and, more importantly, NOT a carp!