Fish
River Lamprey
Lampetra fluviatilis · also called lampern
In an estuary in winter, a river lamprey clamps onto a herring, its sucker mouth ringed with teeth, before it heads back upstream to spawn.
Overview
The river lamprey, Lampetra fluviatilis, is a Least Concern jawless fish of rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters across north-western and northern Europe. Its blind larval life, its parasitic adult stage, and its upstream spawning journey make it a classic example of a lamprey life cycle.
A journey from silt to sea and back
After years in the silt, the river lamprey goes to sea to feed, and then returns to the river of its birth to spawn and die.
Status
Least Concern, though sensitive to dams and pollution.
River Lamprey: common questions
Is the river lamprey a parasite?
Yes, as an adult it fastens onto fish in estuaries and coastal waters with its sucker mouth and feeds on their flesh and blood.
How is it different from the brook lamprey?
It is longer and goes to sea as a parasite, whereas the brook lamprey stays in freshwater and the adult does not feed.
What happens after spawning?
The river lamprey dies after spawning in clean gravel in spring.
Where is the river lamprey found?
It lives in rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters of north-western and northern Europe.