Sea lamprey
| Sea lamprey | |
|---|---|
| Multiple sea lampreys in the Aquarium Finisterrae, Spain | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum: | Agnatha |
| Superclass: | Cyclostomi |
| Class: | Petromyzontida |
| Order: | Petromyzontiformes |
| Family: | Petromyzontidae |
| Genus: | Petromyzon Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Species: | P. marinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Petromyzon marinus | |
| Synonyms | |
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Genus synonymy
Species synonymy
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The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is a parasitic lamprey native to the Northern Hemisphere. It is sometimes referred to as the "vampire fish".
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.