Sea lamprey
Petromyzon marinus
Summary 2
Family: Petromyzontidae
Sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) invaded the upper Great Lakes in 1921. They are most notorious for being parasitic, using their suction-cup-like mouth to latch onto fishes, bore a hole in the sides of the host fish, then feed on the host’s internal fluids. This attack does not necessarily kill the host fish, but it can significantly weaken it. Many of the fishes attacked by sea lamprey are popular sport fishes, so millions of dollars are spent every year to reduce sea lamprey populations.
How to recognize: Long, snake-like body. Mouth is a sucking disk with hooks. Usually mottled gray. Fins on the back are separated by a space. Up to 2 feet / 0.6 meters long.
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- (c) alavire, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
