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Lampreys, a near-threatened type of blood-sucking fish, studied by South West students

A lamprey with its mouth open with rows and rows of teeth
Lampreys can be found in the Margaret and Warren rivers.(

Supplied: Ted Lawrence Great Lakes Fishery Commission


They may look terrifying and latch onto fish and suck their blood, but scientists are enticing school students to learn more about this parasitic species.

Lampreys are an ancient eel-like, jawless fish that pre-date dinosaurs.

They latch on to fish with a sucker and rows of teeth and drink their blood or eat their flesh.

As adults, lampreys make their way to the ocean; four years later they migrate back to fresh water where they spawn and die.

They can be found around the world, but the Margaret and Warren rivers are known hotspots in Western Australia's South West.

The species there are at risk of becoming endangered, which scientists attribute to climate change and increasing salinity in the rivers where they breed.

'Blood sucker' intrigues students

Scientists from Murdoch University recently teamed with students from Pemberton District High School to spark interest in lampreys.

A view of the inside of a lampreys mouth while it sucks onto a glass screen and a man is visible behind.
Dr Beatty says lampreys are not known to latch onto humans unless as a defence mechanism.(

Supplied: Stephen Beatty


Project leader Stephen Beatty said while little was known about them, the more people were interested in studying them, the better chance they had at survival.

The fish's unique appearance and lifestyle made it easy to get students interested, he said.

"A lot of people mistake them for eels, but we don't have any freshwater eels in the South West of Western Australia.

"Fortunately for us, though, on their migration as adults into rivers, [lampreys] cease feeding at all, which is pretty fascinating, they just live off their fat reserves."

In Pemberton, where the lampreys breed in the Lefroy Brook Weir, the drying climate is diminishing water levels.

A person holding a lamprey in their hands near a river
Scientists are fascinated by the lampreys' unique migration and breeding habits.(

Supplied: Stephen Beatty


Lamprey ladders help migration

Dr Beatty said when it came time to migrate to the ocean, lampreys struggled to get over the weir wall.

Lamprey ladders have so far been the solution, installed by the Water Corporation to give them a steady incline over the wall.

Corporation spokesman Graeme Keep has been maintaining the ladder and said it was encouraging to see students interested in lampreys.

"It'll be interesting to see if any students come up with an improved ladder design to help even more lamprey make it to the open water," he said.