Sea Lamprey. What is it??

Petromyzon Marinus, sea lamprey, sea eel or fish blood sucking leeches. (Thinkquest.org)

A number of Canadian researchers who study the whale's life trying to prove the theory that the sea eel attached to the whale's body for the ride is simply wrong.

Sea lampreys or Petromyzon Marinus (sea eel name it), often seen attached to the whale's body. This eel has a similar funnel mouth full of teeth and tongue like a razor blade.

From a few sightings, eels were seen attached to the humpback whales in the Pacific Ocean region. As for the northern Atlantic, he was often seen attached to the whale.

Based on a rare appearance, some scientists theorize that the sea lamprey feed on whale skin. Some other scientists believe that sea lampreys bite the whale so they can be delivered to distant places separated by oceans.

However, having studied at the St. Lawrence estuary, where the lake meets the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean in eastern Canada, researchers finally have the answer.

"Lampreys attached to the whale to bite deep into the skin to suck blood, not only sekadarn riding trip," said Ursula Tscherter, Project Director, Foundation for Marine Environment Research, as quoted by the BBC, January 19, 2010.

Tscherter mentioned, the number of minke whale sightings in the area of the St. Lawrence estuary enable this research. "Whereas before, stick leeches on the body of the whale species is not widely known," said Tscherter.

Researchers then took the photo when the whale's body looks, before and after the leech is attached.

From the photographs obtained, shows that in places that once attached by the eels were found injured and bleeding. "This is the first evidence that the parasite is eating of whale blood," said Tscherter.

Petromyzon Marinus, or often referred to as the vampire fish was first discovered by accident in the Great Lakes lake region in the 1800s. Just as salmon, sea lamprey was born in freshwater, migrate to sea as adults and return to freshwater to breed and die.

In some lakes in northern America, eel or leeches have also been considered as pests. In 1930 until the 1940s, Petromyzon Marinus responsibility as a trigger factor plunging fish populations.

Although not attack humans, but never were the case that a swimmer bitten and sucked her blood by petromyzon Marinus. Although not until the turn off, but the eel could be released after the swimmer was brought up onto land.

Now the researchers continue to observe the sea lamprey's life to understand more about the species to be able to control the population that continues to soar and threaten the survival of some species of fish.