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Stackpoole, S., 1997. The Five Lampreys of Michigan’s Great Lakes, University of Michigan. Produced by the Michigan Sea Grant (1997) The Five Lampreys of Michigan’s Great LakesHave you ever heard of the chestnut lamprey, or the silver lamprey? How about the American brook lamprey or the northern brook lamprey? These are the four native lampreys that inhabit the Great Lakes region, and their ancestors arrived here approximately 300 million years ago. Two of the four native Michigan lampreys are parasitic, meaning that in their adult stage they feed on the body fluids and blood of fish. Although they usually leave a deep wound, they rarely kill the host fish. Ecologists say that the native lampreys harmoniously coexist with fish and other aquatic organisms in the Great Lakes. In contrast, the sea lamprey, a third parasitic lamprey, drifted into Michigan's waters from the Atlantic coastal region and caused a tremendous decrease in fish populations, especially lake trout, after it entered the Great Lakes in the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to putting the Great Lakes' fish populations in jeopardy, the highly competitive sea lamprey also puts stress on native lamprey population. Entire Paper |
