Once in the ocean the lamprey begins to feed parasitically on other 

 fishes by hanging on with its sucking mouth and rasping with its tongue 

 to obtain nourishment in the form of the blood and other body fluids of 

 unfortunate victims. After several years of parasitic life the lamprey is 

 mature and begins the spawning migration back to fresh water complet- 

 ing the life history. The entire life cycle takes five to eight years. 



Lampreys, on their spawning runs in Maine coastal streams, will 

 average between two and two and one-half feet in length although ex- 

 ceptional lengths of three feet have been observed. 



Although the lamprey has become adapted to an entirely fresh- 

 water environment in the Great Lakes and has seriously depleted fish 

 populations in these waters, there is as yet no evidence that any of our 

 freshwater game fish populations have been harmed in Maine. 



17 



