Pouched Lamprey
Geotria australis
- Group: Other
- Max size: 57 cm
- For divers: safe
- IUCN status: DD
This is a jawless fish, an ancient lineage with a round rasping mouth instead of jaws. It spends its first years burrowed in the mud of coastal streams, then changes form and heads to sea, where it clamps onto other fish and feeds on their blood and flesh. The long return migration upstream to spawn can take well over a year.
Taxonomy: Animalia › Chordata › Petromyzonti › Petromyzontiformes › Geotriidae › Geotria
Species data via the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), AphiaID 234686.
FAQ
- Is the Pouched Lamprey dangerous to divers?
- The Pouched Lamprey is harmless to divers.
- How big does the Pouched Lamprey get?
- The Pouched Lamprey grows to about 57 cm.