NZ "Water Vampire" Spawning Site Found

NZ "Water Vampire" Spawning Site Found

25 Nov 2013

Lampreys are scarcely ever heard of, and that might be because the secretive eel-like fish are in decline.

But after many years of searching, scientists are excited to have found the first spawning site ever in the southern hemisphere on Canterbury's Banks Peninsula.

The slippery, slimy creature is known as a water vampire due to its toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth.

"That's the bit that does the business," says NIWA scientist Don Jellyman. "There's the rasping mouth, and at the back of the mouth there's a couple of fearsome teeth they use.

Nice little place they have down there by the water. Good place to go for a quick and fun outing. Interesting seeing all the various types of marine life they have in one building.

Archie

The Island Bay Marine Education Centre's Bait House Aquarium is an interactive marine experience based in Island Bay on Wellington's south coast.There are lots of different sea creatures on display including a couple of octupuses, sea horses, lobsters to name a few. You can also gently touch and handle starfish, sea cucumbers, sea anemones, crabs and other sea life found in the local rock pools outside.There's far more inside than you would expect. The volunteers and expert staff are very friendly and helpful. It is really reasonably priced and we were all entertained for ages. Really good fun and educational too. Definitely worth checking out with the family.

Haydn