This is Crazy!!

[acabtp]

Originally Posted by Mark B.

A sea lamprey, parasitic only in saltwater, they enter freshwater rivers to spawn, after which, they die. After one dies, the remaining mate stays close by until it , too, succumbs.
Both adults build a circular nest out of rocks, & guard their young. The young migrate to the ocean to begin their parasitic ways.

The only other NJ lamprey is the American Brook Lamprey. It is much smaller than the S.Lamprey, and totally non parasitic. Spends its entire life in freshwater streams. These are the ones that anglers harvest as primo walleye bait.

good info, thanks Mark

[JerryC]

yikes crazy!

[calbo]

Originally Posted by Bassload

Has anybody seen one of these before?

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...incart_m-rpt-1

We used to "gig" these by the hundreds in the Raritan during the early 60's - they would come up river to spawn in the spring - the river bed used to by covered by their nests. As they swam upstream they would hang (suck onto) the spillway in Raritan - sometimes the entire width of the river - hundreds at a time.

We would walk along the spillway and get them with large gigs, or large treble hooks attached to the end of broom sticks. And - saw many on large carp. We killed as many as possible to protect our fish.

They still show up in small numbers - think poisoning efforts reduced their numbers.

[Wilson]

Oddly enough this article appeared in the Star Ledger today!

http://photos.nj.com/star-ledger/201...incart_m-rpt-2

[AndyS]

Saw one glued onto a salmon we got in the Great Lakes.

[dogfish246]

This is in the Raritan River over by the rt287 bridge...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkPdkkW4Y-g

[SaltLife1980]

Ugly SOB's