Pacific lamprey

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Pacific lamprey

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Cephalaspidomorphi
Order:	Petromyzontiformes
Family:	Petromyzontidae
Genus:	Lampetra
Species:	L. tridentata

Binomial name

Lampetra tridentata
(Richardson, 1836)

The Pacific lamprey is a fish. Its scientific name is Lampetra tridentata, and it is also known as three tooth lamprey and tridentate lamprey.

[edit] Biology

The Pacific lamprey lives along the Pacific Coast of North America and Asia. They are dark blue or brown in color and grow to about 30 inches (76 cm). They are anadromous meaning they are born in fresh water, swim out to the ocean as an adult, and return to the freshwater to reproduce. Lamprey juveniles (ammocoetes) live in fresh water for several years (up to 5 or 6 years). Juveniles are filter feeders. Adults have a jawless sucker-like mouth and are parasitic on other fish while in the ocean. The adults live at least 1-2 years in the ocean and then return to fresh water to spawn. It is not well understood if Pacific lamprey return to their natal streams or seek spawning areas based on other cues. They typically spawn in similar habitat to Pacific salmon and trout. Lamprey construct a nest (redd) in small gravel and females can lay over 100,000 eggs, which are fertilized externally by the male. The adults die within 4 days of spawning. Also, like the salmon, the Pacific lamprey does not feed while migrating to spawn.

[edit] As Food

Pacific lamprey are an important ceremonial food for Native American tribes in the Columbia River basin. Pacific lamprey numbers in the Columbia River have greatly declined with the construction of the Columbia River hydro-power system. Almost no harvest opportunity for Native Americans remains in the Columbia River and its tributaries except for a small annual harvest at Willamette Falls on the Willamette River (tributary to the Columbia River).