sea lamprey

noun

: a large anadromous lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) that has a mottled upper surface, is an ectoparasite of fish, and is sometimes used as food

Examples of sea lamprey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Either way, the enduring mystery of how closely humans and sea lamprey fit on the vertebrate family tree will continue. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Feb. 2024 Just one sea lamprey can kill 40 pounds of fish per year, per the administration. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2023 The sea lamprey grows to about 16-18 inches on average in the Great Lakes and prefers lake trout but will feed on a variety of fish, including sturgeon, perch, walleye and bass. Peter Krouse, cleveland, 7 July 2022 The primary culprit was the sea lamprey, a parasitic aquatic invasive species which devastated lake trout and burbot populations in the lake. Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2023 After the Big Pond's native top predator fish, lake trout and burbot, were laid low in the middle 20th Century by overfishing by commercial interests and parasitism by the invasive sea lamprey, the lake swelled with nuisance numbers of alewife, another invasive aquatic species. Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2023 Despite decades of intensive stocking and millions of dollars in research and management efforts – including ongoing sea lamprey control – by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the lake trout struggled to re-establish a naturally-sustaining population in Lake Michigan. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9 Oct. 2021 Lake trout, once devastated by parasitic sea lamprey, have bounced back in recent decades because of lamprey controls and trout restoration efforts. John Flesher, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2022 After the non-native sea lamprey and alewife flooded into the lake, native lake trout and burbot were decimated. Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 16 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sea lamprey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sea lamprey was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near sea lamprey

Cite this Entry

“Sea lamprey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20lamprey. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sea lamprey

noun
: a lamprey of the Atlantic coast that is also found in the Great Lakes and that attaches to and feeds on other fishes with its round sucking mouth

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