Sea Lamprey

[Guest Manitoubass]

Never, ever seen one until I snagged one today with a flat rap.

 

A truly digusting looking creature, lol, the gloves came out to remove it off the treble hook, haha.

 

Anyone else see these anywhere?

 

I wasn't sure if it was invasive of not, so I took a few pics, checked out the MNR site and filled out the form

[Guest Manitoubass]

edit.

 

was in Rainy River, not Rainy lake

[bare foot wader]

for sure a lamprey? american eels are often mistaken for lamprey....

[Roy]

Lamprey and eels are not even comparable. Do you have a pic?

[Guest Manitoubass]

Yeah, after checking the pics for comparison, I'm sure it's a lamprey. I have some pics, but none of them turned out very well, so it's tough to tell by the pics what type of lamprey it actually is.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

i could be terribly wrong on my geography but i don't think you have a sea lamprey problem in rainy river.

 

 

there are lamprey native to canada. given the fact that you are not located anywhere close to the great lakes, i would presume you found and Ichtyomyzon.

Edited September 15, 2010 by Dr. Salvelinus

[Roy]

Lamprey for sure.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthyomyzon_unicuspis

[Guest Manitoubass]

i could be terribly wrong on my geography but i don't think you have a sea lamprey problem in rainy river.

 

I've fished this river for 25 years, and this is the first one Ive ever seen

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

this is 99.9% not a sea lamprey.

Edited September 15, 2010 by Dr. Salvelinus

[Guest Manitoubass]

another pic

[Guest Manitoubass]

i have intimate knowledge of lamprey and lamprey control. this is not a sea lamprey.

 

why is this?

 

any idea of what it is then?

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

why is this?

 

any idea of what it is then?

 

as i posted above, i believe this to be a silver lamprey, not a sea lamprey. a silver lamprey is native to your waters, and nothing to worry about.

 

i work in lamprey control.

[Roy]

Yes, they're native to Rainy river and Lake of the Woods.

[Guest Manitoubass]

as i posted above, i believe this to be a silver lamprey, not a sea lamprey. a silver lamprey is native to your waters, and nothing to worry about.

 

i work in lamprey control.

 

cool, thanks for the info.

 

I just wanted to make sure, as like I said, I've never seen one before.

 

Still, creepy buggers

[highdrifter]

i have intimate knowledge of lamprey and lamprey control. this is not a sea lamprey.

 

Exactly. Could be a brook or a silver lamprey. Looks to be about the right size.

 

A silver lamprey isn't parasitic and they're good indicators of a healthy ecosystem.

 

You let it go?

[Guest Manitoubass]

Exactly. Could be a brook or a silver lamprey. Looks to be about the right size.

 

A silver lamprey isn't parasitic and they're good indicators of a healthy ecosystem.

 

You let it go?

 

No I didn't let it go.

 

It was killed in the process of removing my hooks (was hooked in three different spots, one almost through the mouth)

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

 

A silver lamprey isn't parasitic and they're good indicators of a healthy ecosystem.

 

You let it go?

 

Actually silver lamprey ARE parasitic...

But they are a healthy indicator and not detrimental to the fish population in any way.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

http://pond.dnr.cornell.edu/nyfish/Petromyzontidae/silverlamprey.html

 

There is also some suggestion that silver lamprey (Ichthyomyzon unicuspis) and the northern brook lamprey (Ichthyomyzon fossor which is non-parasitic) are more closely related than originally thought and may be the same species.

[Roy]

Yeah, Doc. Most of the lampreys we see here, in muskie water, are non parasitic. I don't know why that is because sea lamprey range is all through here and the Great Lakes.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

pretty neat and rare occurrence to snag a native lamprey regardless.

[highdrifter]

Actually silver lamprey ARE parasitic...

But they are a healthy indicator and not detrimental to the fish population in any way.

 

oh yeah right.. brooks are the ones that feed on benthic invertebrates. thanks dude.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

i believe they are filter feeders. i think they munch on detritus etc.

Edited September 15, 2010 by Dr. Salvelinus

[Governator]

That would just freak the crap out of me.

[Headhunter]

So, if it was not released, inquiring minds need to know... how did it taste?

HH