Sea Lamprey

The Sea Lamprey has the average length of around 1 to 2 feet and weights between 8 to 14 ounces. It is grey-blue on the back, violet on the sides and silvery white on its belly. Common names for the Sea Lamprey are: lake lamprey, lamprey and lamprey eel. It is commonly found in lakes Superior, Ontario, Erie, Huron.

Sea Lamprey is a parasite fish which uses its mouth, shaped like a suction cup full of teeth, to attach itself to a large host fish. It then creates a hole in the fish with its rough tongue and it feeds on the blood and bodily fluids of the host fish. In true parasitic nature, the lamprey rarely kills the host fish, but because of it's anticoagulant saliva, the wound it creates on the host fish never heals, which means the infections the host fish will develop after the lamprey detatches will most likely kill the host fish. A single adult lamprey is said to kill around 40 pounds of fish during it's adulthood which lasts around 12 to 20 months. Due to it's appearance which is very eel like and its apparent lack of gills and fins, as well as the appearance of it's teeth-filled mouth, it is not fished for or eaten in the west, even though in other parts of the world it is considered a specialty.