Amphihaline species. Adults live in the sea, but not as far from the coastline as Petromyzon marinus. In autumn, adults commonly undergo reproductive migration from the sea to the rivers. During reproductive migration and reproduction, adults do not feed but instead utilize their lipid reserves and are known to undergo a considerable shortening of up to 27 per cent. Spawning takes place in pre-excavated pits in river beds, its depth between 50 cm and 1 m; after spawning the adults die. The blind ammocoetes larvae are filter feeders and live mostly buried in the river bed. Metamorphosis takes place at a length of about 13 cm and they migrate to the sea. Juveniles then live in the sea where they grow and fatten up for at least a year. Adults feed on fishes by sucking their blood and afterwards consuming the flesh. The mucus and serum are poisonous and the flesh must be thoroughly washed and all the blood removed before consumption (Ref. 5504). Utilized fresh and smoked; eaten fried.
Fisheries: minor commercial; bait: usually.
Common names:
Common name Language Country
Kavall lumi Albanian Albania
Llampresa de riu Catalan Spain
Mihula riecna Czech Czech Rep
Mihule potocní Czech Czech Rep
Mihule rícní Czech Czech Rep
Almindelig flodlampret Danish Denmark
Flodlampret Danish Denmark
flodnegenøje Danish -
Flodniøje Danish Denmark
Negenooge Dutch -
Rivierlamprei Dutch -
Rivierprik Dutch Netherlands
European river lamprey English USA
Freshwater lamprey English -
Lampern English Netherlands
Lampern English UK
lamprey-eel English -
mud lamprey English -
River lamprey English Estonia
River lamprey English Ireland
River lamprey English Russian Fed
River lamprey English UK
Stone eel English UK
Jõesilm Estonian Estonia
flodnejonöga Finnish Finland
Nahkiainen Finnish Finland
Châtillon French France
Filtre French France
Flûte French France
Lamprillon French France
Lamproie de rivière French France
Lamproie fluviatile French France
Sept-trous French France
Peist da shuil deag Gaelic, Irish Ireland
Bär German Germany
Bärel German Germany
Fluss-neunauge German Germany
Flußneunauge German Germany
Flußpricke German Germany
Gemeines German Germany
Lamprete German Germany
Lamprida German Germany
Lampride German Germany
Negenaugen German Germany
Negenooge German Germany
Neunauge German Germany
NeünAug German Germany
Nägenooge German Germany
Pricke German Germany
Querder German Germany
Rheinpricke German Germany
Uhlen German Germany
Ποταμολάμπραινα Greek Greece
Potamolamprena Greek Greece
Fisksuga Icelandic Iceland
Lampreda di fiume Italian Italy
strauta negis Latvian Latvia
upine nege Lithuanian Lithuania
Zmiulka Macedonian Macedonia
七鰓鰻 Mandarin Chinese China Main
七鳃鳗 Mandarin Chinese China Main
Elveniøye Norwegian Norway
minóg rzeczny Polish Poland
Lampreia-de-rio Portuguese Madeira Is
Lampreia-do-rio Portuguese Portugal
Lampreira-de-rio Portuguese Portugal
Chiscar de râu Rumanian Romania
минога речная Russian Russian Fed
речная минога Russian Russian Fed
Evropeiskaya rechnaya minoga Russian Russian Fed
Retschnaja Russian Latvia
Retschnaja Russian Ukraine
Retschnaja minoga Russian Ukraine
Paklara rijecna Serbian Serbia
Rijecna paklara Serbian Serbia
Mihula potocná Slovak Slovakia
Recni piskur Slovene Slovenia
Lamprea de río Spanish Spain
Flodnejonöga Swedish Sweden
Bofa baligi Turkish Turkey