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The sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus,
was first discovered in Lake Ontario in 1835, Lake Erie in 1921,
Lake Huron 1932, Lake Michigan 1936, and Lake Superior 1946.
Reproducing populations were found in all of these upper lakes
by 1947. The sea lamprey attaches to deepwater fish, especially
lake trout and chubs, for food and indirectly gains
transportation that has enabled it to become widely dispersed
throughout the Great Lakes. They remain attached and feed on the
fish until they are satiated or until the fish dies. Lake trout,
burbot and whitefish populations were devastated by lamprey
predation by the early 1940s. Much work to control this parasite
in the Great Lakes has been accomplished, but without continued
control and research into stream invasions, the populations
would once again escalate, damaging the predator/prey balance.
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