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National Invasive Species Information Center
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Home » Species Profiles » Aquatic Invasives » Fish and Other Aquatic Vertebrates » Sea Lamprey

Sea Lamprey

Sea lamprey
Scientific Name:
Petromyzon marinus (Linnaeus, 1758) (ITIS)
Common Name:
Sea Lamprey
Photo:
Sea lamprey, adult - Photo by Lee Emery; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Spotlights

  • Sea Lamprey Abundances Below Target In Lakes Michigan And Ontario And Are Decreasing In Lakes Superior, Huron, And Erie (Nov 12, 2019) (PDF | 243 KB)

    Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

    The Great Lakes Fishery Commission today reported that populations of the invasive, parasitic sea lamprey remain at near-historic lows, below targets, in Lakes Michigan and Ontario, and above target, but holding steady, in Lakes Huron, Superior and Erie. Sea lamprey populations in Lake Huron are close to target levels and have been holding steady for the past five years. Abundances in Lakes Superior and Erie remain above target but have also decreased significantly since the near-record highs observed in 2017. Sea lampreys are the worst of the alien species to invade the Great Lakes. Before control, sea lampreys destroyed many times the human fish catch. Today, sea lamprey control is the foundation of the $7 billion Great Lakes fishery. The Commission and its partners are encouraged by the overall decrease in abundance of sea lampreys throughout the Great Lakes basin during 2019, but caution that environmental conditions, such as a prolonged spring and high precipitation events, contributed to the decrease.

  • Call for Proposals: Sea Lamprey Research Program (PDF | 719 KB)

    Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

    The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is now soliciting pre-proposals and pilot project proposals for the 2021 funding cycle. The deadline is Tuesday, January 15, 2020 at 11:59 PM EST. Proposals are evaluated for relevance and scientific merit and against information needs identified by the Research Themes under which they are submitted. Proposals are encouraged to be cross-cutting and address multiple themes. See the theme conceptual diagram (PDF | 172 KB) for examples of how themes may intersect. See Applying for Funding for more information.

Native To:
Atlantic Ocean (NAS Database)
Date of U.S. Introduction:
First discovered in Lake Ontario in 1835 (though whether or not it is native to Lake Ontario is disputed); first discovered in Lake Erie in 1921 (NAS Database)
Means of Introduction:
Spread into the Great Lakes through the Welland Canal (NAS Database)
Impact:
Preys on native species (NAS Database)
Current U.S. Distribution:
Great Lakes

Distribution/Maps/Survey Status

Images

Videos

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Sea Lamprey.

Council or Task Force

Species of Concern Fact Sheet: Sea Lamprey
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force.

Partnership

Global Invasive Species Database - Petromyzon marinus (fish)
IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invaders Factsheet: Sea Lamprey
Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program (Canada).
Invasive Species Compendium - Petromyzon marinus
CAB International.
TISI Inventory - Sea Lamprey
Texas State University System. Texas Invasive Species Institute.

Federal Government

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Fact Sheet - Sea Lamprey
DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Provides distribution maps and collection information (State and County).

State and Local Government

Aquatic Invasive Species: Sea Lamprey (Jul 2005) (PDF | 177 KB)

Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
See also: Invasive Species for exotic animal and plant pests invading Indiana, causing economic and visual damage
Nuisance & Invasive Species - Sea Lamprey
New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
Sea Lamprey and Control Efforts in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Species Guide Index - Fish: Sea Lamprey
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Division of Wildlife.

Academic

Introduced Species Summary Project - Sea lamprey
Columbia University. Center for Environmental Research and Conservation.
Invasive Species Guide - Sea Lamprey
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant.
Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
University of Minnesota. Minnesota Sea Grant.

Professional

Sea Lamprey: A Great Lakes Invader
Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

Citations