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River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis)
River lampreys (Lampetra fluviatilis) belong to the same genus as brook lamprey and are thought to be very closely related. Current thinking suggests that brook and river lampreys are a paired-species, which means the river lamprey represents the anadromous (sea going) form of the resident brook lamprey. However, this is an area that is still being actively researched.
As ammocoetes, because of their close similarity to brook lamprey, it is very difficult to identify these fish beyond genus level (Lampetra). These fish average 30cm in length as adults but some may be considerably smaller (20cm) but in each case they are distinctly larger than adult brook lamprey (12-14cm). River lampreys migrate upstream from the sea to spawning grounds in autumn/winter. Spawning activity is greatest in the springtime (like brook lamprey) and river lamprey ammocoetes also spend several years in soft sediment before migrating to sea as adults. It is not currently known how long these fish spend in marine habitats before making the return trip to spawn.
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lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
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lamprey (Lampetra planeri)
