Sea Lamprey | Fish Species Guide | Angling Direct

Sea Lamprey

Sea Lamprey

aka Petromyzon marinus

Sea lamprey have a long, eel-like body with two dorsal fins set towards the back of the body. It can be located in not just in saltwater but in estuaries and rivers around the Atlantic coastal area of western and northern Europe. Colour ranges from black to a mottled green or yellow. Their most defining feature is their circular mouth, which is filled with rows of small, sharp teeth.

FactThe anatomical trait that makes the sea lamprey an efficient killer of bony fishes is its disc-shaped, suction-cup mouth which latches on to unfortunate fish and then it uses its rough tongue to rasp away the fish's flesh!

Stats

Habitat

Habitat

Near coastlines, or close to estuaries and easily accessible rivers.

Bait

Bait

Live bait fish

Fishing Tackle

Fishing Tackle

Native or Invasive

Native or Invasive

Invasive

Where

Where

Native to the Atlantic Ocean, often found in Norway down to the Bay of Biscay and in the Mediterranean seas.

Catch Experience Catch Experience

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), classified as a non-extinct species. Usually found attached to other fish, such as trout or salmon, and occasionally caught as bycatch when anglers target other species. Sea lampreys are typically caught using fishing nets and traps. These are specifically designed for sea lamprey as they migrate from tributaries or adult lamprey when they travel back to their tributaries after spawning. Placing nets and traps in tributaries during the lamprey migration period will guarantee a few catches as lamprey have an extraordinary sense of smell they will be attracted to fresh live baits but also by other lamprey’s pheromones. A technique that has proven to be effective is using male lamprey as bait, letting their pheromone lead the other female lamprey to the trapped tributaries. Thus this process requires a few additional deflections, such as using dead lamprey and alarm cues, setting them in areas with suitable spawning habitat to warn live lamprey of danger, guiding them to the trapped tributaries. Once caught, they can be released back into the water. However, juvenile sea lamprey can cause concern if not removed or handled, as they are highly harmful to other fish during their downstream migration.

Video

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