Sea Lamprey Biology and Ecology

Sea lampreys are jawless parasitic fish with cartilage skeletons, native to the Atlantic Ocean. They invaded the Great Lakes in the 1830s, causing significant damage to local fisheries. Sea lampreys attach to fish, feeding on their body fluids and secreting an enzyme to prevent blood clotting. They have a complex lifecycle, living in both marine and freshwater environments. Control methods like lampricide and barriers have been effective in managing their population. Sea lampreys are anadromous, but in the Great Lakes, they have adapted to live entirely in freshwater.

What type of skeleton do sea lampreys have?

• Bone

• Cartilage

• Chitin

• Calcium

How many pairs of gill openings do sea lampreys have?

• Seven

• Five

• Eight

• Six

How do sea lampreys prevent their host's blood from clotting?

• By applying pressure

• By using their sharp teeth

• By secreting a special enzyme

• By injecting a toxin

What was one of the main reasons for the collapse of the Great Lakes trout fishery?

• Introduction of new fish species

• Pollution

• Invasion of sea lampreys

• Climate change

Where are sea lampreys originally native to?

• Pacific Ocean

• Indian Ocean

• Arctic Ocean

• Atlantic Ocean

Which method is NOT used to control sea lamprey populations?

• Lampricide

• Barriers

• Trapping

• Genetic modification

What is the term for fish that live in saltwater but spawn in freshwater?

• Anadromous

• Catadromous

• Euryhaline

• Diadromous

What is the primary diet of sea lamprey larvae?

• Detritus and algae

• Insects

• Small fish

• Plankton

What is the average lifespan of a sea lamprey?

• 10 years

• 20 years

• 6 years

• 3 years

How many eggs can a single female sea lamprey produce?

• 10,000

• 50,000

• 100,000

• 200,000