Where Does Pacific Lamprey Live?

Pacific Lamprey lives in specific habitats. Knowing where to look helps you find and identify it.

Where to find Pacific Lamprey

Water type

freshwater

Depth

Ammocoetes inhabit shallow, soft-bottomed areas of rivers and streams (typically <1 meter). Adults are found in coastal marine waters, often at depths of 0-200 meters, and return to freshwater for spawning.

Environment

Anadromous; freshwater rivers and streams for larval and spawning stages, and coastal marine environments for parasitic adult feeding. Requires clean, cool, well-oxygenated water with suitable substrate (sand, silt) for ammocoete burrowing.

Geographic range

North Pacific Ocean and its tributary freshwaters. Extends from Baja California, Mexico, north to Alaska, and across to the Asian coast from Kamchatka, Russia, south to Japan and Korea.

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