The Hidden World Of The Sea Lamprey

[@Possumbreath]

I love lampreys so much, glad to see these little guys getting a spotlight ❤

[@TheDave333]

I love them too! They really are abused and looked down upon. Most people are completely disgusted by them. I think they're awesome fish! Hopefully next year I can film them spawning!

[@vicgonzales9409]

really love this kind of documentary ❤

[@TheDave333]

Thank you so much. ❤

[@Doomtogloom]

i love your videos, the passion. you can tell you make videos because its your passion.

[@TheDave333]

Yes! Thank you! True100%

[@nicksweeney5176]

*It's

[@ugarit5]

Never imagined lampreys would have such a complex behaviour... Also their breathing cycle is so hypnotic😮

[@TheDave333]

Thanks for watching the video. Ancient species like this are often thought of as "primitive" but they often lead very complex lives. I think they're incredibly fascinating fish.

[@tiredindividual9665]

i was just thinking about lampreys a couple days ago, what a nice surprise to see this!! had no idea about the issue in the great lakes with these fellows, thank you for making this video!! and it's nice to see some positivity for lampreys aswell :-)

[@TheDave333]

Thanks! Lamprey get a bad rap, and there's always some over-hyped, over-exaggerated video about them on here. They get no love, no respect. . . Too much hype, too much sensationalism. I thought it would be nice to tell this story from the lamprey's perspective. They're not really the monsters that people make them out to be.

[@888fluffy]

Better than most TV animal documentaries. These days high production documentaries are more forcused and the drama and not the info.

[@TheDave333]

Thank you so much for watching the video and taking the time to leave such a nice comment. I grew up watching old school nature films, and I guess they left a mark.

[@OogaBooga-wz6um]

Lamprey are such a fascinating and overlooked species

[@TheDave333]

They've really gotten a bad rap by the media, and it's a bit sad, because they're really amazing fish. Very misunderstood creatures.

[@haoli2465]

Love your work

[@TheDave333]

Thank you so much 😀

[@susanstaples6171]

You aren't getting the following you deserve. Your exceptional footage is always an inspiration

[@TheDave333]

Thank you so much! I really love what I do, so that helps a lot. . . But, whatever you can do to to help promote my work would be very much appreciated. . . Have a beautiful day.

[@quitlife9279]

The baby lamprey is adorable! With it's little chubby face and shut eyes!

[@TheDave333]

They really are very cute. Nothing like their parents!

[@PaulsFishroom]

Another amazing video Dave 🤓👍

[@TheDave333]

Thanks Paul 👍

[@bt9565]

Great video as always! Am I the only one who thinks the ammocoetes look like sleepy newborn puppies?

[@TheDave333]

You are not alone. . . I can totally see newborn puppy in there!

[@petecross9470]

Another first class, fascinating, informative and possibly nightmare inducing trip below the waves with our favourite ichthyologist. Awesome work! Thank you!

[@TheDave333]

You are very welcome!

[@shnoogums1]

great video as always. thanks dave!

[@TheDave333]

You're very welcome!

[@janicelefever2918]

Poor little Sea Lamprey is just trying to remain in existence. Thanks for shining a light on another tiny piece of our vast universe - it all matters.

[@TheDave333]

Thanks for watching another video. It's all important. Just another strand in the giant web of life. 🦈🐟🦐🦠 🐠 🌻🌴

[@pumpkomoth]

really appreciate the talk at 11:20, too many people seem to find it okay to inflict suffering on animals considered "invasive", as if its the animals own fault for being invasive. its always the fault of the humans who caused it in the first place

[@TheDave333]

Yes, you're right 100%. Totally not their fault! The Lamprey needed someone to speak out in their defense. They get a pretty bad rap in the media. If anyone's invasive it's us. . .

[@emilymcknight-p8d]

Wonderful video. Thanks for this glimpse into their unique survival strategy. I also find them endearing. The faces (once they grow eyes!) I think look sweet in a fishy kind of way. :)

[@TheDave333]

Hello! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! I think they're awesome fish in their own strange way. . . Thanks for watching.

[@butterfish-g9f]

Very cool fish. I've never seen one alive.

[@TheDave333]

I glad that I could help introduce you to something new and exciting.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

I'm actually excited about seeing your pet lampreys soon. I mean it! I really am! 😁

[@TheDave333]

Yay! Thank you!

[@mq9047]

Fascinating video, thank you!

[@TheDave333]

Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed.

[@JohnS-od8ym]

Great view Dave! I caught a Coho salmon on Lake Erie that had a lamprey eel attached to it

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Lampreys are not eels at all. As Dave explained earlier, they are jawless fish like hagfish. Eels have jaws.

[@TheDave333]

Thanks for watching the video! I'd love to catch a Coho Salmon, lucky you!

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

@@TheDave333 And I corrected his error too.

[@TheDave333]

Yes, I saw that.

[@riotwryy]

what a beautiful creature.. i love the shots of them slithering around at the edge of the water, it really shows off how strong they are. also idk why people are so afraid of them, in terms of ocean parasites theyre pretty tame

[@TheDave333]

You're so right, in terms of scary parasites that you might have to deal with the lamprey is a light weight. They are a bit intimidating in real life though. Especially big ones like we get around here. . . In the Great Lakes, they only reach about 1-2 feet in length. Here, it's more like 3-4 feet long! Holding on to angry 3 foot lamprey is an experience I won't soon forget! They are incredibly powerful, and as you said, beautiful creatures.

[@vikkirountoit497]

Oh my gosh. I'm halfway through the video and the many fascinations that had my jaw drop repeatedly as I thought "oh Wow! COOL!" - well they've become more of a horrified Oh my GOSH as you explained the transformation from filter feeder to full on toothy monster of my nightmares! You are QUITE an accomplished storyteller and this is even more interesting because the stories are true! I'm only at 7:22 minutes and I'm really curious about the rest of this video and a bit afraid to watch it! ...Ok - glad to hear they don't all become parasitic and they don't all become 3 ft long and they aren't in all the waterways everywhere, or I'd never go in the water again. It always amazes me how much we spend to "fix" "problems" we create. I wonder - is there is no way to trap them as a food source given that they are probably (and rightly) never going away? Your video about these creatures is awesome - thank you for this interesting look at something of which I've never been aware!

[@TheDave333]

Hello Loyal Subscriber! It has been said that there are no problems, only solutions. . . I'm glad you enjoyed the video. These fish do frighten most people, but ever since I was a child I've always been drawn to the strange and unusual animals. . . I get in the water with hundreds of these fish, and they show no interest in me. . . At least not yet. Thank for watching.

[@THERATKING128]

The larvae look so stupid and thoughtless and I love them for it

[@TheDave333]

I love how they really do look like they're sleeping the whole time. :-)

[@slowmotion562]

high quality, as always!

[@TheDave333]

Much appreciated!

[@yourobson]

Fascinating creatures. Life cycles of animals are very interesting subject. When I was a kid I enjoyed reading biology books about life cycles of various animals, insects etc. Thanks for this great video!

[@kinglyzard]

There is a lot of Evo-Devo at play here, as larval lampreys resemble lancelets (Amphioxi) before they take on their frightful appearance.

[@TheDave333]

@kinglyzard Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny.

[@TheDave333]

Thanks for watching the video! I'm fascinated by behaviors and life cycles as well. There's always so much to discover.

[@MattKeepsFish]

So cool! How did you get this footage?

[@TheDave333]

Some of it was taken in the wild on the river, but the closeups of the baby lamprey and the teeth on the adult were done in an aquarium at my house. I live very close to the river, and they pass through every year. Thanks for watching the video.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Dave, we need you and you need us.

[@TheDave333]

So, true . . . We all need each other my friend. . . On a slightly different topic. I woke up to a bat in my house this morning. It ended up in the fish room hiding behind a curtain. I caught it, unharmed, using a fishnet attached to a broom handle. I released it outside. No harm done, but it was an interesting way to start the day. 😁😁😁

[@rickardrocks2160]

the close up camera in an aquarium, did you catch one? Or is this stock video? :D

[@TheDave333]

Camera in an aquarium. I've caught several over the years. . . The only stock video I considered using was of lamprey spawning because i haven't been able to capture that on film yet. Hopefully, next year. :-)

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

I told you I was looking forward to rivers coming soon! 😁

[@TheDave333]

I was looking forward to more river videos too!

[@GreasusGoldtooth]

These are actually some of my favorite fish.

[@nicksweeney5176]

Why?

[@GreasusGoldtooth]

@@nicksweeney5176 Colors, pattern, and how basal they are.

[@nicksweeney5176]

@@GreasusGoldtooth Well, those are all valid reasons, I spoze; but, they're no excuses. Nonetheless, I shall accept and respect your submissions. Enjoy your Sea Lampreys.

[@kinglyzard]

Their place in the family tree fascinates me. All other Vertebrates are closer related to each other than they are to Agnathid fish.

[@TheDave333]

Thanks for using the word "BASAL." I love seeing that! I use the word "primitive" so non-science folks don't get confused, but basal is a much more accurate description. . . I love how they're sort of a missing link between cephalochordates and chordates. . . They're so similar to lancelets / amphioxus. Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny.

[@jaspersagem9469]

I didn't know they change so drastically from when they're young, that's really interesting! Sad how many ecosystems are disrupted by human meddling, I hope populations of lampreys and Great Lake fish can recover

[@TheDave333]

Hi! It is a radical transformation. The very first fish (now extinct) were all filter feeders. So, I find it interesting how the early stage of the lamprey's life is spent as a filter feeder, and then it evolves into something else later in life. The Great lakes have recovered from where they were in the 40s and 50s, but it will always be a struggle to keep their numbers under control.

[@zakaryloreto6526]

The fact early fishes looked like lampreys makes me really wonder, how did fish even evolve fins? From where did it come from? I’m guessing the gills.

[@TheDave333]

That's a great question, and I don't know the answer! I've never considered that before. Now, you've got me thinking. . .

[@deucemoose7852]

6:48 are those parasitic worms that can be seen through the juvenile's skin?

[@TheDave333]

Those are microworms, a type of cultured food for small fish. I was hoping the baby lamprey would eat some. They're on the outside of the lamprey. .

[@deucemoose7852]

@TheDave333 gotcha. Definitely looked like they were within I guess due to coloring haha. Thanks for the answer!

[@ledraps22]

I didnt know the great lakes fishery commission had those methods in place. I wonder what would happen to the fishery if they suspended those controls. I know they're in the finger lake Cayuga too and just read they have similar practices.

[@TheDave333]

They also use pheromones to attract them to unsuitable spawning habitat or traps, and they release sterile males as well. I imagine if they stopped the control methods the lamprey might wipeout the native fish, and then the lamprey numbers would hopefully decline once the food supply was gone. . . I don't think that's a risk that they're willing to take.

[@AmandaWillett-hs1re]

Wow, I've never heard of these before. I'm amazed and horrified; that mouth is going to haunt my dreams 😮

[@TheDave333]

They are pretty scary looking creatures, and there's little doubt about that! Sweet dreams!

[@lemonlizard1]

Woahhh the gills look so alien I already love this fish so much lmao

[@kinglyzard]

The larvae look like amphioxi. Evo-Devo, just another evolutionary Easter egg...😊

[@TheDave333]

They really are very bizarre fish, I think they're amazing!!!

[@cooperbarnes12]

Hey Dave! Any update on the freshwater sponges? Were you able to get any to survive? I was interested in trying to grow some myself and was curious how your project fared.

[@TheDave333]

I kept a bunch of freshwater sponges going for a while and they did okay. Most of them died back in the winter, but some have stated to regrow this spring. So, hopefully they're adjusting. I'm working on a video about keeping them in captivity, but it will be a while before it's ready. Thanks for asking!

[@Arishsaddle]

What do u feed lampreys in captivivy

[@TheDave333]

Since the larvae are filter feeders I feed them yeast, microworms, and infusoria that I culture using wheatberries. Foods used to feed saltwater corals would probably also work as well. The adults don't eat while on their spawning run.

[@kpete9219]

You can stick your leg in the tank!

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Speckled/Griffin's moray, grey moray, and mosaic moray. Have you heard of any of these?

[@TheDave333]

I don't believe I have, but I've seen quite a few different ones in the Caribbean. Not sure of the name. did you know that moray eels do not have pectoral fins? Same as the Lamprey.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

@@TheDave333 Yes

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

I've seen videos of these fish attaching themselves to basking sharks.

[@TheDave333]

I'm not surprised. :-)

[@JohnS-od8ym]

Do you know anything about Blue Pike? Similar to Walleye “yellow pike “ but I think they are all gone from the Great Lake’s

[@TheDave333]

I'm sorry I don't know much about them, but the Sea Lamprey might have been the cause of their disappearance.

[@nicksweeney5176]

This video was 98% education, for this ol' boy. My experience with these Horror Hookers was loooong ago, when I once had cause, in my childhood, to be in Massachusetts. I'd been living my New England Summertime in the most riparian/riverine ways possible. I'd be in all depths of waters, in Hampshire and Berkshire counties. These things frightened and fascinated me. I was afraid to touch them, and driven to grab them. They're quite firm and very strong & slimy. Not vermicular. They did attach to/rasp at me. Don't be fooled by reassurances that they are not enticed by mammalian flesh. Mr. The Dave says they don't feed, while on the migration path. My recollection of my experiences informs me otherwise. Anyway, Mr. The Dave, thanks for the education and for broadening & deepening my understanding.

[@kinglyzard]

You're either a lot braver or a lot dumber than I am!😅😅 These things were terrifying to me! The only thing scarier to me was spiders. I congratulate you on overcoming your fears! 😅😅

[@nicksweeney5176]

@kinglyzard Oh, please believe! The power of Dumb is with me, and has been always my defense, my excuse aaaand my (only) friend, for all my days. It makes for a hard life, but leaves one with many unique scars and makes for some interesting stories.

[@kinglyzard]

@@nicksweeney5176 I've come in 2nd place for the Darwin Award on many occasions growing up and into early adulthood. I've nicknamed myself "Rasputin" because I've dodged death so many times, all for being DUMB! 😆 Dumb and lucky!! 😆

[@nicksweeney5176]

@@kinglyzard We're brothers!! I've always wondered if you were out there!

[@kinglyzard]

@@nicksweeney5176 Separated at birth by a stoned stork! 😆

[@matteld3179]

Am I the only one who finds lamprey cute? they remind me of a very big loach n pleco hybird...

[@TheDave333]

You're not alone. . . I do get a loach vibe now that you mention it, weather loach?

[@nicksweeney5176]

No. There're always a few more freaks, to stand with ANY weirdo.

[@matteld3179]

@@TheDave333 perhaps... I see more kuhli loach in them

[@MrSucho-vl7ih]

Agreed

[@Youtube-Censorship-Police]

as long as you don't know about their mouth and that they are blood suckers, i guess they are😂

[@yikup]

make sure your mic is stereo and not just panned to right ear

[@TheDave333]

It is a stereo mic. Why is there more sound in the right ear on this one?

[@kyledemauro6992]

I'm definitely getting biased right ear sounds. Great content as always, no criticism meant.

[@fowrt]

I put on your videos in the same situations where I play Bob Ross

[@nicksweeney5176]

So, when you wanna paint?

[@TheDave333]

There's already too much drama and hype in the world. . . Serenity now !!!

[@arachnoskull6311]

do trout and bass fead on brook/sea lamprey?

[@TheDave333]

Yes, the small ones (ammocoetes and transformers headed to sea). The larvae are a food source for many freshwater creatures.

[@arachnoskull6311]

@@TheDave333 thanks i was wondering for a wile.

[@TheDave333]

You're welcome.

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

I heard on another video blood and other bodily fluids... Besides plasma I'm speculating there's not much else except urine, and tapping into the urine stream through the skin would be an accomplishment. curious who predates on these? I'd forgotten I was subscribed to your channel and found a DNR oriented dullard video about lampreys and glad yours was recommended below it, such Superior content to the lamprey control Channel

[@TheDave333]

Thanks for subbing to the channel! Big fish such as bass, pickerel, northern pike, trout, and walleye will eat the young lamprey that live in the sand / muck on the streambed. The transforming lamprey are also eaten when they begin their journey to the ocean. Bald eagles and osprey will also eat the adults, as well as the transformers. Snapping turtles too!

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Meagre fish/Argyrosomus regius

[@TheDave333]

interesting. . .

[@Mrfish676]

Please make more bristel nose pleco videos

[@TheDave333]

I will. . .

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

WAY TO GO DAVE! 😁

[@TheDave333]

Thanks Chi! 😁 Are there Sea Lamprey going through your area?

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

@@TheDave333 I don't think so.

[@TheDave333]

The larval lamprey don't like warm water, but there should still be some in Virginia. Google search = There are 6 species of lamprey in Virginia.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Hey Dave, why did you say we and our when all of us don't live in the Great Lakes region of North America?

[@TheDave333]

We're united in our humanity, and there are lamprey all over the world.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

@@TheDave333 I see

[@TheArtofDyingTogether]

Thsi is the kind of positive PR the poor lamprays need! Great video!

[@TheDave333]

Thank you. They needed someone to tell the story from their perspective. If you look at the lamprey videos on YT there's a lot of hype, exaggeration, hysteria etc. They needed a new approach that was more accurate and fair.

[@tigercow]

Amazing creatures, but unfortunately invasive here in the Midwestern US. Oh you address it in the video lol

[@TheDave333]

They are amazing creatures. . . that took advantage of our lack of foresight! Unfortunately, they've gotten a bad rap due to their appearance and a lot of bad press / hype/ hysteria.

[@raphlvlogs271]

Lampreys are just too adaptable to changes

[@TheDave333]

360 million years of practice. . . It's not survival of the fittest, but survival of the most adaptable. 🦈🦐🦠 🐠🌻🐝

[@moonpleco5083]

European river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) is also anadromous species, having similar life cycle to this sea lamprey. Several years ago it's population dropped so much due pollution. Now it's better, however it depends on region. When l was a child I spotted one in river shore in middle of my town ! I was fascinated, standing and observing this lamprey until it swam away. Very sad story is that anglers often kill lampreys because they are fishes' parasites.....

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

That's not necessary, because every animal is important in the ecosystem.

[@moonpleco5083]

​@@chisaquaticvibe6524 Exactly!

[@TheDave333]

Hello Moonpleco! Yes, the European River Lamprey numbers are dropping, but there are people trying to help. It seems to be a problem all over the world. It is such a shame that people's ignorance causes them to harm such a beautiful and unique creature. Hopefully, this video will teach people a new way of thinking about these living fossils. . .

[@moonpleco5083]

​@@TheDave333That's good news for lamprey 🙂. Let's hope that your educational work bring more understanding our water neighbors 🐟

[@kinglyzard]

Lampreys and hagfish aren't so closely related. They share a superclass, Cyclostomi. But they are still are distantly related within that superclass. It's an equivalent to comparing humans with an Echidna. Lampreys are the hagfish's closest living relative, and vise versa. That's a more accurate way to describe them.

[@TheDave333]

Thanks for watching the video. I see your point, but the Echidna / human comparison is a bit of a stretch. . . I guess it's more of a semantics issue. The lamprey are more closely related to the hagfish than any other living fish. So, they are the lamprey's closest living relative.

[@kinglyzard]

@@TheDave333 IDK, I mean one has the beginnings of vertebrae, and then they disappear. The other never really develops discernable vertebrae in its spine. But I'm just being pedantic.

[@TheDave333]

No worries, we try to put creatures into these neat little taxonomic boxes, but life is much more complex than our silly little classification systems. Some creatures defy easy classification.

[@kinglyzard]

@@TheDave333 That is such a fact. The speciation process confirms that wholly.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

I wonder if they can dance?

[@TheDave333]

They do like to wiggle a lot when they're trying to climb up the rocks.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

About your bullhead catfish video, you were right. People should stop trying to improve the natural world.

[@TheDave333]

Hi Chi! I was a little worried about you... No comments for a couple days. . . Glad to see that you're back. :-)

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Would you like to go on a cruise someday?

[@TheDave333]

No, not really.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

@@TheDave333 Why?

[@TheDave333]

I'd prefer to stay in one place for a whole week rather than visit several different places over the course of seven days. Having just a few hours at each port seems a bit hectic and rushed, I'd prefer to relax in one spot and take my time getting to know the place.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

@@TheDave333 Me too, but it was a great experience.

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

I'm on board with a muscularized pocket

[@TheDave333]

lol Of course you are. . . :-)

[@Ice-king76]

I thought sturgeon were the most prehistoric

[@TheDave333]

Lampreys, and their extinct relatives, are jawless fish which evolved way before fish with jaws. Fish with jaws such as sturgeon, sharks, and coelacanths, came later in the evolutionary timeline. Jawless fish are at the base of the evolutionary tree.

[@Ice-king76]

Oh thank you for the information

[@ErenDoppleganer]

It seems they always have great success when exterminating things.

[@TheDave333]

We do seem to be very good at that don't we? Hopefully, the tide is turning, and we're slowly learning.

[@Tictacsizesoul]

7:13 Ow, my ex posted her 🐈….

[@TheDave333]

Yikes! Thanks for watching the video.

[@lemonsandaztecs3072]

I think these fish are gross as hell and I hate them but it’s nice that you give them a fair shake

[@TheDave333]

I can respect that. They are pretty gnarly fish! Still, someone needed to tell their side of the story.

[@nicksweeney5176]

Firrrrst...!!!

[@TheDave333]

NICE WORK MY FRIEND! 🦈🐟🦐🦠 ❤🐠🦈🐟 🌻🌼🐝🌴

[@TheDave333]

Thank you :-)

[@nicksweeney5176]

​@TheDave333 Shuh! What did I do, to deserve a thankin'? I scored a lucky Firrrrst. . Thank YOU, for an educating.

[@TheDave333]

You're a fan of my work. That's enough for me, plus you use big words and have complex ideas. . . I like that.

[@nicksweeney5176]

@TheDave333 Well, if appreciation is all it needs, then, I spoze I'm qualified. But, Confucius say: "Man of big words hides man of small mind." I mean, I'm sure it was Confucius; or maybe Buddha, or, even Jesus? Definitely, someone must've said it; I heard it SOMEwhere.

[@periplanetamissionary]

Yeah we are war with these guys where I live, they have no business being here, and cause trouble for the ecosystem, and even out compete the native lampreys which dont damage fish as badly as they do.

[@TheDave333]

True story! The native lamprey are smaller and they do far less damage, plus there are fewer of them. Thanks for watching.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Is the female larger than the male?

[@TheDave333]

I believe the males are larger.

[@kpete9219]

This was an awesome video and yes mankind has screwed up by building canals but I can’t stand these things! You metioned how they lived together with fish for millions of years yet the great lakes did not have the blood suckers for that long. Are they tasty?

[@TheDave333]

I've never eaten lamprey, but they're popular in some European countries. Like anything else, if cooked properly I'm sure it's delicious.

[@kpete9219]

@@TheDave333 I suppose the sauce is important too!

[@moonpleco5083]

Lamprey ! I'm doubtful if it's really fish.... They are water version of Arrakis Sand Worm from Frank Herbert's "Diune" 😃. Even they don't taste like fish . Saddest part is that humans dig canal, lamprey want to live according to their nature. Havoc in Great Lakes but easiest way is to blame lampreys as enemy! Typical story 😢. Thanks for long waited video, close - ups with your narrative information are stunning!

[@TheDave333]

Maybe it's a missing link between worms and fish... but it's most certainly a fish. :-)

[@moonpleco5083]

​@@TheDave333😆! True, but from another point of view, let's say caveman or person without biological knowledge it may be called worm - lamprey living in water or similar organism digging through desert sand 🪱