Sea Lamprey (IMAGE)

Marine Biological Laboratory

Sea Lamprey

Caption

The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is an aggressive parasite that is considered a pest in many regions, including the US Great Lakes. An ancient vertebrate, its lineage diverged from that of humans about 500 million years ago. The lamprey is now our earliest vertebrate ancestor to have its whole genome sequenced and assembled.

Credit

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

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