Sea Lamprey

From Great Lakes Wiki

Listen to this lamprey story reported in July, 2007, by Michigan NOW
What is a Sea Lamprey?
Sea Lampreys are aggresive predators, preying on large fish in the Great Lakes
Common Names: great sea lamprey, lake lamprey, lamprey, lamprey eel
Coloring: grey-blue back, metallic violet on sides, shading to silver-white underneath
Length: 12-20 in
Weight: 8-13 ounces
Where did they come from?
Sea lampreys are native to the Atlantic Ocean

What harm do they cause?

Each sea lamprey can kill as many as 18 kilograms of fish during its lifetime.
Sea lamprey's number one prey in Lake Superior is Lake trout

Impact from sea lampeys killing trout

Fisherman's businesses suffer from lamprey predation.
The amount of Lake Trout in Lake Huron and Lake Superior decreased from about 15 million lbs, prior to sea lampreys entering the Great Lakes to 300,000 lbs, after sea lampreys entered the Great Lakes.
Trout will not be able to eat the alewife, an invader from the Atlantic Ocean, allowing the alewives to affect more important native fish.
With the decrease of trout Sea Lampreys will begin eating other species, such as white fish.
What can be done?
Lampricides are used in tributaries to kill sea lamprey larvae before they migrate into the lakes.

Can Sea Lampreys be controlled by their own pheremones? - One Fisheries and Wildlife Prof. @ Michigan State thinks so.

External Links

Sea Lamprey in the Great Lakes

Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Illinois Indiana Sea Grant

Sea Lamprey in the News

Scientists testing new lamprey control methods They’re slimy, strong, ugly creatures with an appetite for blood — fish blood. Sea lampreys are not a new concern for scientists watching the health of the Great Lakes, but some of the techniques being used to control the parasitic invasive species are just being developed. Ludington Daily News 6/30/07

Ugly lamprey teach important lessons With a gloved hand, I reached into the tank of water and pulled out a sea lamprey. I managed to hang on to it for all of about two seconds before it started writhing ... flexing ... turning ... reaching ... Detroit Free Press 7/9/07