sea lamprey

American  

noun

1. Also called vampire fish.  a parasitic marine lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, that spawns in fresh water mostly along the Atlantic coasts of North America and Europe and in the Great Lakes, where it is responsible for losses of economically valuable fish.

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sea lamprey British  

noun

1. a common anadromous lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, a form of which occurs in the Great Lakes of N America and causes great losses of fish

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Etymology

Origin of sea lamprey

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sea lamprey

The sea lamprey, a 500-million-year-old animal with a sharp-toothed suction cup for a mouth, is the thing of nightmares.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 21, 2024

They’re also confused with sea lamprey, an invasive species wreaking havoc in the Great Lakes.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 23, 2022

In order to protect the Great Lakes' $7 billion fishery, the two countries spend about $25 million annually on sea lamprey control, according to Gaden, with the U.S. contributing nearly 70 percent of the funding.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2022

Yearly assessments continue to show improvements in fish populations with lower wounding rates of fish by sea lamprey and more older, larger trout and salmon.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 13, 2020

This cannot be the mustela of the antients, which is supposed to be the sea lamprey.

From Travels through France and Italy by Smollett, T. (Tobias)