The ecosystem of the planet is incredibly diverse, and many of the species may seem downright extraterrestrial to the average person.
While our seas and oceans contain mysterious creatures, we search the stars for extraterrestrial life. Recently, one such organism, previously thought to be extinct, was found on a Dutch beach. Here’s what we know.
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Rare Parasitic Sea Lamprey discovered on beach
A marine biologist found the sea lamprey as it washed up on the beach. It is also known as the “vampire fish” due to its tendency to feed on the blood of its host like a parasite.
The elusive marine creature was discovered on the Dutch island of Texel, according to Metro. Given that it had not been seen for six years, it was thought that the sea lamprey had become extinct.
The last time a sea lamprey was spotted on the island was in 2017. It is notorious for sucking and consuming the blood of its prey. The fish, which is about three feet long, is very old, according to experts. They belong to the Agnatha, the earliest group of vertebrates, which existed more than 400 million years ago and predated fish with jaws.
Jarco Havermans/Pen News
The parasite was first thought to be an eel
Jarco Havermans/Pen News
The marine biologist was quoted as saying that they always keep an eye out for interesting finds while driving on the beach. During one of their drives, they spotted a giant eel-like fish lying on the water’s edge.
Upon closer inspection, they recognized it as a sea lamprey, which they described as an amazing fish that resembles an eel despite lacking jaws and having a disc-shaped mouth filled with teeth.
The fish has now been delivered to an aquarium museum. According to museum officials, sea lampreys are mainly found in the spring when they migrate from the sea to freshwater to reproduce.
Sea lampreys entered the Great Lakes in the 1830s via the Welland Canal, which connects Lakes Ontario and Erie and makes up a sizeable portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway. They managed to reach all five Great Lakes within ten years, and there they started to prey on the lakes’ economically important fish species, like trout, whitefish, perch, and sturgeon.
A century later, the trout fishery was completely extinct, in part due to the unchecked growth of lampreys.
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