Attention Swimmers!
Swimming in Lake Michigan, on the bottom of the lake you see
bottom dwellers attached to rocks and different species of fish
swimming below. When out of nowhere you watch this peaceful
scenery turn gruesome. A sea lamprey expands its mouth, full of
razor sharp teeth, wider than it’s own body. The sea lamprey
attaches itself, like a suction cup, to a larger fish’s body and
they swim away…
Sea lampreys are parasitic to many fish in both freshwater and
saltwater environments. After attaching to a host fish, the sea
lamprey slowly sucks the blood and other bodily fluids of the
fish to gain nutrients for itself.
If you are interested in learning more about the Petromyzon marinus
(commonly known as sea lamprey), feel free to navigate through our
website. You will find information about its
habitat, life cycle,
interactions with other
species, and how it has adapted to its environment.
To find more information about other organisms, follow this link to multiple organisms.