A primitive eel-like fish with circular sucker mouth and rasping tongue. Migrates between fresh and salt water.

Also called: Pacific Lamprey, Three-toothed Lamprey, K'wal-l (Yakama)

Native status: Native to Pacific Northwest; declining

§ Quick facts

SizeLength 40–80 cm
Weight200–800 g
LifespanAdults 1–4 years marine + 3–7 years freshwater larvae = 4–11 years total
OrderPetromyzontiformes
FamilyPetromyzontidae

§ Encyclopedia

The Pacific lamprey is an anadromous parasitic lamprey from the Pacific Coast of North America and Asia in an area called the Pacific Rim. It is a member of the Petromyzontidae family. The Pacific lamprey is also known as the three-tooth lamprey and tridentate lamprey.

Source: Wikipedia — Pacific lamprey Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Long eel-shaped fish (NOT actually an eel — different lineage); large round suctorial mouth lined with horny "teeth"; seven gill openings on each side; no paired fins.

Similar species. Other lamprey species (different ranges, sizes). Eels (different mouth, jaws, gill structure). Hagfish (also jawless but different family).

Voice. Silent.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Larvae: filter-feed on detritus, algae, microorganisms in stream substrate. Adults at sea: parasitic on fish (lampreys attach to host with suctorial mouth and rasp through skin to feed on flesh and blood).

Behavior. Among the most ancient living vertebrates — lineage essentially unchanged for 400+ million years. Native species of Pacific Coast rivers from Alaska to Baja. Critical cultural species for many Pacific Northwest Native American tribes (e.g., Yurok, Karuk, Yakama) — harvested traditionally for food, medicine, and ceremony for thousands of years. Populations in some river systems have declined 90%+ since the mid-1900s due to dam construction blocking migration; tribal-state-federal partnerships are restoring populations through dam modifications, lamprey-specific passage, and translocations.

§ Range

Pacific Coast

§ Habitat

Coastal rivers and Pacific Ocean

§ Threats

Dams blocking migration, pollution.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the pacific lamprey is currently classified as Near Threatened.

§ What helps

Support Pacific Coast river restoration.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • USFWS Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative
  • Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
  • Yakama Nation Fisheries
  • IUCN Red List 2014