Sea lamprey

Sea lamprey
Multiple sea lampreys in the Aquarium Finisterrae, Spain
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Petromyzontida
Order:	Petromyzontiformes
Family:	Petromyzontidae
Genus:	Petromyzon Linnaeus, 1758
Species:	P. marinus
Binomial name
Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms[2][3]
Genus synonymy Ammocoetus Dumeril 1812 non Erichson 1847 Petromyzon (Bathymyzon) Gill 1883 Bathymyzon (Gill 1883) Oceanomyzon Fowler 1908 Lampreda Rafinesque 1815 nomen nudum Pricus Rafinesque 1815 nomen nudum Species synonymy Lampetra marina (Linnaeus 1758) Petromyzon (Bathymyzon) bairdii Gill 1883 Bathymyzon bairdii (Gill 1883) Petromyzon ruber Lacepède 1800  ?Petromyzon lampetrus Forsskål 1775 non Pallas 1814 Petromyzon lampetrus Pallas 1814 non Forsskål 1775 Petromyzon maximus Cuvier 1816 Petromyzon americanus Lesueur 1818 Petromyzon nigricans Lesueur 1818 Ammocoetes bicolor Lesueur 1818  ?Petromyzon adriaticus Nardo 1847 Petromyzon maculosus Gronow 1854 Petromyzon marinus dorsatus Wilder 1883 Petromyzon marinus unicolor Gage 1928 Oceanomyzon wilsoni Fowler 1908  ?Petromyzon leucopterus Rafinesque 1818  ?Petromyzon maurari DeKay 1840

The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is a parasitic lamprey native to the Northern Hemisphere. It is sometimes referred to as the "vampire fish". In its original habitats, the sea lamprey coevolved with its hosts, and those hosts evolved a measure of resistance to the sea lampreys.

It was likely introduced to the Great Lakes region through the Erie Canal in 1825 and the Welland Canal in 1919 where it has attacked native fish such as lake trout, lake whitefish, chub, and lake herring, Sea lampreys are considered a pest in the Great Lakes region as each individual has the potential of killing 40 pounds of fish through its 12–18 month feeding period.