Brook Lamprey
The European brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri, also known as the Brook lamprey and the Western brook lamprey) is a small European lamprey species that exclusively inhabits freshwater. This species should not be confused with the North American species Lampetra Richardson which is also called the Western brook lamprey. This lamprey is the most common of the northern European species and is also the smallest. Adult brook lamprey measure from 12-14 cm. The very elongate body is dark blue or greenish above, lightening to yellowish off-white on the sides and pure white below. Like all lampreys they lack paired fins and possess a circular sucking disc instead of jaws. They have a single nostril and seven gill openings on either side. Although they are found in small streams, as their name suggests, they are also found in larger rivers throughout northern Europe as well as southern France, Italy, Sardinia, the Balkans and the upper reaches of the Volga. It is also found in southeast Alaska.
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