sea lamprey

noun

: a large anadromous lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) that has a mottled upper surface, is an ectoparasite of fish, and is sometimes used as food

Examples of sea lamprey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Woodworth said there are five migratory fish affected by the dam: American eel, sea lamprey, blueback herring, alewife and American shad. —Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2024

But sea lampreys, which live in the northern and western Atlantic Ocean, are among today’s rare, jawless vertebrates. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2024

Then alewives, sea lampreys, Eurasian watermilfoil and others all were introduced into the lake and made their mark. —Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024

To their surprise, the team found that the sea lamprey core hindbrain circuit is also initiated by retinoic acid. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

sea lamprey

noun

: a lamprey of the Atlantic coast that is also found in the Great Lakes and that attaches to and feeds on other fishes with its round sucking mouth