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Photo by: Julien Renoult
Source: Wikimedia Commons
License: CC BY 4.0
This video was AI-generated from the photo above.
Brook lamprey
Bachneunauge
Scientific name: Lampetra planeri
NativeFreshwater
Behavior
Purely freshwater resident species. Larvae filter-feed in sand for 3-5 years; after metamorphosis, adults stop feeding entirely and die after spawning.
Features
The smallest lamprey species (up to 20.5 cm), dark back, pale belly, jawless sucker-like mouth. Strictly protected in Germany.
Distribution
Widespread across Europe; in Germany mainly in clear upland streams of the central low mountain ranges.