Brook lampreys

[Parisite]

I had a panic attack at my "home waters" this morning when I saw what looked like a group of small eels.

 

At first I thought they were giant leeches (which would be just as strange) but when I took a closer look I saw that they were definitely eels.

 

When I finished fishing (slow morning with only one decent fish) I spoke to a member of the local conservation authority who confirmed that these 6 inch little eels were brook lampreys and that they shouldn't be harmful to the fishery. Phew!

 

In 7 years of fishing this area I have never seen them before.

 

Has anyone else seen these little guys before?

[Fang]

Yep. Fairly common site in the spring on the 2 Coldwater speckled trout rivers I grew up fishing. Filter feeders and no harm to trout. One of the bigger specs I cleaned had one in its gut too

[Christopheraaron]

Cool, I think I saw one yesterday too

[redpearl99]

do they make the fish inedible ?

[fishindevil]

No they are not harmful to the trout they are native and belong in the creeks and rivers !!!! Trout will eat them and they are part of the food chain !!!! They are not like lampreys !!!!!

[sauce]

No they are not harmful to the trout they are native and belong in the creeks and rivers !!!! Trout will eat them and they are part of the food chain !!!! They are not like lampreys !!!!!

I think you meant to say "they are not like SEA lampreys!!!"

Sea lampreys are invasive parisites found in the great lakes that feed on live fish.

[mirogak]

Yep pretty common in Brookie streams.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

there are non-parasitic lamprey located in most of our water systems... usually you don't see them as they spend most of their life cycle as the larval form buried in the bottom sediment. the American Brook Lamprey (Lampetra appendix) and the Northern Brook Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon fossor) are the most common species although there are limited populations of Silver Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon unicuspis) and Chestnut Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon castaneus).