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In British folklore, the monster known as the Lambton Worm may have been based on a lamprey, since it is described as an eel-like creature with nine eyes. [ citation needed ] In Japanese, lamprey are called yatsume-unagi (八つ目鰻, "eight-eyed eels"), thus excluding the nostril from the count.
Ammocoetes have pigmented eye spots located in the head that can detect light and dark. After metamorphosis from the ammocoete into the juvenile stage, the lamprey becomes a golden color with yellow-tinged fins. Teeth (often used to identify lamprey to species) develop on the oral disk, and the eyes develop from the eye spots at metamorphosis.
Larvae of all lampreys are called ammocoetes and when small ABL ammocoetes have a dark band running longitudinally along the body, a dark head region, and the remainder of the body is clear. As they increase in size the body becomes increasing darker, reaching a dark brown by the time the ammocoetes reach their maximum size of about 250 mm (10 in).
The sea lamprey has an eel-like body without paired fins. Its mouth is jawless, round and sucker-like, and as wide or wider than the head; sharp teeth are arranged in many concentric circular rows around a sharp, rasp-like tongue. There are seven branchial or gill-like openings behind the eye. Sea lampreys are olive or brown-yellow on the ...
An adult lake lamprey is dark blue or dark brown with a lighter belly, and the body is 11.8-27.3 cm in length. The lamprey's disc-like mouth is filled with sharp teeth. The Vancouver lamprey has eyes on the top of its head, two dorsal fins, a caudal fin, and an anal fin. [6]
The western brook lamprey and river lamprey have been considered a clade separate from the other western U.S. lamprey species. [12] However, more recent genetic research suggests the western brook lamprey would be better categorized as a member of a Lampetra ayresii species complex. [ 11 ]
The brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri), also known as the European brook lamprey and the western brook lamprey is a small European lamprey species that exclusively inhabits freshwater environments. The species is related to, but distinct from, the North American western brook lamprey ( Lampetra richardsoni ).
The eyes of Mordacia are dorsolaterally located, which is unlike the other known lamprey species, and they contain a photoreceptor that has both rod and cone characteristics. [2] This photoreceptor is also unique to M. mordax and enhances vision in darkness by optimizing photon reception.