Lamprey! Least brook lamprey in my aquarium

[Cowturtle]

Finally managed to grab some lamprey. Unfortunately this species live as a filter feeding larvae for four years buried in the substrate before morphing into these adults breeding and dying so I only have about two weeks with these. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone actually keeping some on this forum.

I’ll be searching for a parasitic species but they’ll be much harder to find I think. If I catch one at the right age I’ll have 1-2 years where I can keep it. I hear the parasitic species can also act as scavengers and eat frozen food.

 

[Kelly_Aquatics]

Those sculpin and darters are amazing! What do you plan to feed the lampreys?

 

[Cowturtle]

Those sculpin and darters are amazing! What do you plan to feed the lampreys?

Nothing! This species loses the ability to eat when they morph. Now they’ll just breed and die. If I get any live larvae out of this batch I’m supposed to be able to feed the larvae yeast.

 

[Kelly_Aquatics]

That’s really cool! So is the mouth just used to attach to stuff then?

 

[Cowturtle]

That’s really cool! So is the mouth just used to attach to stuff then?

Yep they only use it to pick up gravel to make their nests. They still have some teeth as they’re descended from parasitic species but much less than the actual parasitic types.

 

[tlindsey]

That’s really cool! So is the mouth just used to attach to stuff then?

I thought all Lamprey attached themselves to live fish.

 

[tlindsey]

How long have you had the Rainbow Darter?

 

[Cowturtle]

I thought all Lamprey attached themselves to live fish.

In the US it’s actually a pretty even split of parasitic and non-parasitic species just nobody ever really sees these. The larvae live four years but look just like a pink worm filter feeding in the mud.

 

[Cowturtle]

How long have you had the Rainbow Darter?

The rainbow darter I just let go after the picture. I’ve kept them before for years though.

 

[Deadeye]

Wow! Amazing! You’re definitely one of the first to ever keep these (or at least document it).
Shame they don’t live very long in the adult stage.
How big are they? Based on the shot of one next to your thumb and one next to hornwort, no bigger than a few inches I suppose.