Category: Fish
These parasitic, eel-like organisms inhabit shorelines throughout the Northern Atlantic as well as the Great Lakes. Lamprey inhabit freshwater during their larval stage and spawning stage (end) of their lifecycle, and spend several years as adults at sea. Adults feed by attaching themselves to other fish with their sucker-like mouth and rasp away their scales with their sharp tongue and teeth. Secretions from the lamprey’s mouth prevent the prey’s blood from clotting, thereby allowing the lamprey to feed on the victim’s blood and other bodily fluids.
The fish that could drown (and other amazing tales)
Fish are masters of aquatic living, though some manage to do pretty well on land, too! Of living species, the mudskipper is probably the best adapted to life out of water - in fact, a mudskipper will drown if it can’t periodically come to the surface! This unusual fish uses its powerful, almost leg-like fins to walk on land and can even use them to “skip” up to 2 feet in the air! Similar to many amphibians, the mudskipper is able to breathe through its skin and the linings of its mouth and throat. It also seals water in its gill chambers when it leaves the water for extended stays on the land, much like a scuba diver brings air with them!-
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