Blood-sucking ‘vampire fish’ spawning in Vermont, experts say they are safe
MONTPELIER, Vt. - A “vampire fish” has started to spawn in Vermont waterways, but the fish is not a serious threat, experts say.
In a Facebook post, Vermont Fish & Wildlife reminded residents that the sea lamprey – called a “vampire fish” by some publications – will be spawning in the rivers and lakes of Vermont.
The agency informed residents that the lamprey is a local fish and entirely natural. The lamprey provides certain ecological benefits, with their corpses providing important nutrients into freshwater ecosystems.
“Sea lamprey are native to the Connecticut River basin and play a vital role in the ecosystem,” said Lael Will, fisheries biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “While existing for over 350 million years in the Atlantic Ocean, anadromous sea lamprey have co-evolved with their oceanic hosts, and their populations are considered to be in balance."
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“If you happen to see a spawning sea lamprey or a lamprey carcass, don’t be alarmed.”
However, Vermont Fish & Wildlife also warned of a non-native species of lamprey that is invasive to Lake Champlain, but the group promised that the population is “actively controlled” as a “nuisance species.”