[b]Lake Superior lamprey population soars [/b]

[eric myers 2]

Last update: August 26, 2005 at 10:17 AM
Lake Superior lamprey population soars

Associated Press 
Published August 26, 2005 

DULUTH, Minn. — Lake Superior's population of bloodsucking, fish-killing sea lamprey is exploding, and scientists are trying to determine if it's a temporary spike or a permanent problem.

The numbers of the eel-like creature, which feed by attaching their teeth-filled mouth to lake trout and other fish, has nearly doubled in western Lake Superior in the last year, according to state and federal biologists, who are taking new measures to battle the lamprey.

The numbers are even worse in the Wisconsin DNR's lamprey trap in Brule River, which feeds into Lake Superior. Mike Seider, a fish biologist for the agency, said crews trapped 9,478 lamprey this year, three times last year's catch and the most ever in the barrier's 20-year history.

Scientists are also finding more wounded fish. In the lake's western area, the number of lamprey scars on big lake trout is up more than 400 percent — 26.9 scars per 100 trout, compared to just 6.4 per 100 trout last year.

So far, it hasn't significantly reduced the number of lake trout, according to scientists. But they say that could change quickly if they can't stem the increasing numbers.

"We're also finding lamprey marks on other species — like suckers, whitefish and herring — and that's a clear sign there are a lot of lamprey out there,'' Seider said.

It's got scientists battling lamprey larvae in new locations, including in the lake itself, and not just streams.

The problem isn't confined to western Superior. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the lake's overall lamprey population jumped 23 percent from 2004 to 2005, according to Jessica Richards, a Michigan-based marine biologist for the agency.

"It's a significant increase, especially in the west,'' Richards said. She said lamprey numbers in western areas of the lake jumped from 35,000 last year to more than 62,000 this year.

Superior is the only Great Lake with a major lamprey increase, Richards said. While Lake Erie had a minor increase this year, the other Great Lakes saw a decrease, with Lake Michigan showing about half as many lamprey this year as last.

Scientists have identified several hot spots they believe are mostly responsible. One is a series of Ontario streams near Thunder Bay that previously didn't hold lampreys, but in recent years seem to have begun pumping adult lamprey into Lake Superior.

Chemicals were applied to the spawning grounds that will kill this year's crop of lamprey larvae, which would have showed up as fully grown creatures in about two years. Until then, scientists said, 2006 could see even more lamprey than this year.

For the first time, scientists also plan to use a chemical lampricide on open Lake Superior water to kill the creatures.

"We see the problem out there and we're working on it,'' Richards said.

[LKunze]

Interesting.  Anyone ever seen one on a dive?  I did a google search and found that the blood suckers are 12 to 20 inches long.  :o