Caspian Lamprey Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Large, robust lamprey reaching roughly 40-55 cm
• Plain silvery-grey body without the mottled blotching seen in some relatives
• Broad oral sucker disc armed with strong, well-developed teeth for feeding on host fish
• Two dorsal fins set toward the rear of the body
• Slender, scaleless, cylindrical build typical of the lamprey family
• Eyes functional and clearly visible in the adult stage

Common look-alikes

• Sea lamprey is a similar size and shape but shows a mottled, marbled body pattern and lives in Atlantic and Mediterranean drainages rather than the Caspian basin.
• River lamprey is noticeably smaller with a less robust build and a shorter parasitic feeding period.
• Other Ponto-Caspian brook lampreys are much smaller and lack functional feeding teeth as adults.

Where you'll see one

The Caspian Lamprey is endemic to the Caspian Sea basin, spending a parasitic phase in the open sea before migrating up major rivers such as the Volga, Ural, and Kura to spawn in fresh water, where it can travel long distances upstream.