Pouched lamprey

The pouched lamprey is a jawless, parasitic lamprey native to the Southern Hemisphere. Adult males are distinguished by a pouch-like structure beneath the eyes.

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Lamprey: A jawless fish with a toothed, funnel-shaped mouth and an eel-like body. The pouched lamprey is one species within this ancient jawless-fish group.
Lamprey feeding: The ways lampreys obtain food, including filter feeding by larvae and blood feeding by many adults. The pouched lamprey shifts from larval filter feeding to parasitic adult feeding.
Geotria australis: A Southern Hemisphere lamprey species commonly called the pouched lamprey, found in Australia, New Zealand, and South America. This is the scientific name associated with the pouched lamprey.
Fish host: An animal that supports a parasite by providing food or habitat. Host fishes supply food to parasitic adult pouched lampreys.
Cyclostomata: A vertebrate group comprising lampreys and hagfishes, which lack jaws. Its jawless anatomy places the pouched lamprey among cyclostomes.
Lamprey parasitism: The feeding relationship in which a lamprey attaches to a host fish and consumes blood or tissue. This relationship describes the adult pouched lamprey's feeding strategy.
Mordacia: A genus of Southern Hemisphere lampreys that includes short-headed and Chilean lampreys. Its species share a broad Southern Hemisphere distribution with the pouched lamprey.
Freshwater ecology: The study of organisms and environmental processes in inland waters. Larvae and spawning adults connect the species to freshwater ecosystems.
Lamprey ammocoete: The burrowing larval stage of a lamprey, which filter-feeds in sediment. Pouched lampreys pass through this distinctive larval stage before metamorphosis.
Lamprey pheromone: A chemical signal released by lampreys that can influence the behavior of other lampreys. Chemical signals help lampreys locate habitats and coordinate parts of their life cycle.