Glossary L
- lamellae
- Small extensions on fish gills that increase the gill's surface area to improve oxygen consumption.
- large woody debris
- Material (such as a log, tree, or branches) with a diameter greater than 10 cm and a length greater than 1 meter in the stream. Large woody debris is an important component of westslope cutthroat and bull trout habitat.
- lateral line
- The lateral line is a row of fine scales and pores located on the side of a fish. This is a primary sensory organ that is used by a fish to determine its position in the water column and enables a fish to maintain its equilibrium. It is also used by schooling fish to avoid collisions while swimming close together and to turn with the group.
- life history
- The pattern an organism follows to maximize growth, reproduction and fitness. Examples include: Resident: A fish that completes its whole life cycle in a small tributary stream. Fluvial: A fish that hatches in a small tributary, rears there for 1-4 years, and then migrates out to a larger river to mature. The fish then migrates back to the tributary to spawn. Adfluvial: A fish that is spawn ed in a small tributary, rears for a period of time in the tributary (1-4 years), and then migrates out to a lake where it matures. The fish then migrates back to the tributary to spawn.
