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Brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri)
This lamprey is the most common Irish species and is also the smallest. Adult brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri) measure from 12-14cm and spawn in gravels during the springtime. They have a wide distribution in Ireland. Although they are found in small streams, as their name suggests, they are also found in larger rivers. Brook lamprey ammocoetes live in soft sandy/mud for a number of years before maturing. These young lampreys are blind and are filter feeders, eating detritus and other organic matter.
Unlike most species of lamprey, the adults do not migrate to sea nor do they have a parasitic phase. Adult brook lamprey do not feed and they spawn close to the soft sediment in which they were previously resident.
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lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis)
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