Terrifying creature is spotted in West Wales river – but do YOU know what it is?
- Craig Evans has appeared on screen with Michael Portillo and Mary Berry thanks to his expert knowledge of what lives around the Welsh coastline
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An expert coastal forager has shared a photo of a prehistoric fish that frequents British rivers, but looks like something you’d find in a horror film.
Craig Evans, who has run coastal foraging tours in South West Wales for seven years, shared the stark photograph on his Instagram page after spotting the many-toothed creature while on a fishing trip.
Evans told MailOnline that sea lampreys, which are thought to have been around for 340 million years, can grow up to 2ft in length and prey on larger fish, using their menacing gnashers to suck their blood.
However, the ancient fish – also known as ‘vampire fish’ – live a short existence, says Evans. ‘They spawn in May or June and die soon after, days later’.
Yikes! A many-teethed sea lamprey photographed by Welsh coastal forager Craig Evans this week; he told MailOnline the jawless fishes have been around for ‘hundreds of millions of years’
The fish are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world including Portugal (Lampreira marinha), thanks to their eel-like texture, but Evans admitted after trying the ‘weak watery flesh’ a few years ago, he’s happy to never sample it again.
In his Instagram post this week, he shared how he’d spotted a dead sea lamprey while fishing for sea trout.
He told his followers: ‘I found this dead “Sea Lamprey” while fishing for sea trout in a West Wales river. These wonders of nature spawn in freshwater, feed on tiny algae and microorganisms until they migrate to sea to prey on larger fish.
Craig, pictured with his dog Llew; he said he had tried to eat a sea lamprey a few years ago and admitted ‘never again’
In Portugal, the creatures are served up as a delicacy known as
WHAT IS A SEA LAMPREY?
Vampire fish: Sea lampreys swim in fast waters with no barriers
Sea lampreys are a parasitic fish found along the shores of North America, Europe, and in the Great Lakes. They live in the sea until they are ready to spawn, at which point they move up river.
The lamprey attaches itself to other fish such as trout using suction and scrapes away tissue. Eventually the animal dies from blood loss or infection.
‘It’s fearsome mouth attaches itself to the side of the fish and sucks it blood etc. This one was around 2ft in length and weighed around a kilo.’
The creatures can only swim in fast-flowing waters with no barriers and, says Craig, the only animals that will eat them are otters – and even then they only dare to munch the ‘last few inches of its tail.’
Sea lampreys are parasitic and are most commonly found along the shores of North America, Europe, and in the Great Lakes region.
They live in the sea until they are ready to spawn, at which point they move up river.
Evans, who is accompanied by his faithful dog Llew on his tours, says the ancient species of jawless fish are actually a sign of ‘a healthy ecoystem’ but admits that such creatures have probably inspired more than a few science fiction movies.
On social media, the image sparked plenty of reaction.
One person quipped: ‘That’s my nightmares sorted for tonight then.’
Another wrote: ‘That looks terrifying’, while one shocked social media user added: ‘Wowzers!!! That is a beast! I didn’t know these existed here! Incredible!’
Evans has appeared on screen with Michael Portillo and Mary Berry thanks to his expert knowledge of what lives around the Welsh coastline.
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