Ichthyomyzon greeleyi or the Mountain Brook Lamprey

[dbradyh]

Jennifer and I  made it out on Easter Sunday to one of the local creeks and fished for about six hours. We did not have much luck and between the both of us caught only a few small panfish and smallmouth bass. The red horse are still thick in the creek and the gar are beginning to pair up in the deeper, slower runs. Spotted something unusual in the shallows and after a closer look discovered a ball of small lamprey twisted together spawning. I am guessing that they are Mountain Brook Lamprey after looking around on the internet. Hopefully, Dave can take a look and see if we got the ID correct......

[gaspergou]

Seems like a reasonable guess. The dorsal fin looks like it isn't divided, and the other parasitic lampreys around here are usually much larger when they spawn. Really cool find!

[MikeA]

That's what I was going to say too. 

[Steve H]

Very cool indeed.

[gaspergou]

Few folks even know about the parasitic species (which are native here, and usually don't seriously hurt their host). Even fewer know of the several species of non-parasitic lampreys that spend most of their life as a filter-feeding larvae, buried in sand or fine debris. They transform into the adults over the winter, spawn, and die. They don't feed as adults. Two species (American Brook Lamprey and Least Brook Lamprey) normally are done by mid-March, before many fishermen even get in the water for the year. Mountain Brook Lamprey spawn a bit later. Cool animals.

[MikeA]

Yes we do. We call them lawyers down here.  Sorry BD, you know I love ya bro.

[Watching for sucker punch from BD]