Researchers Discover Sea Lampreys are Terrified by Smell of Dead Sea Lampreys
Posted on September 3, 2011
Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that sea lampreys are terrified by the smell of dead sea lampreys. When scents from dead sea lampreys are poured into a tank of live ones, the lampreys' panic and attempt to escape. The researchers hope to use the scent as a sea lamprey repellent. The creatures are considered one of the most destructive invasive species in the Great Lakes.
Michael Wagner, MSU assistant professor of fisheries and wildlife, says, "Sea lampreys are one of the most costly and destructive Great Lakes' invaders. The effectiveness of the odor combined with the ease in which it's obtained suggests that it will prove quite useful in controlling sea lampreys in the Great Lakes."
You can see the terrified lampreys panic when the scent of dead sea lampreys is introduced into their tank in the videos below. The second clip gives you a view from under the water. Take a look: