Besides being used to make traditional lamprey pie for Queen
Elizabeth II, invasive eel-like sea lampreys are otherwise an
unwanted species in the Great Lakes. A recent discovery by
Warren Green, a University of Windsor PhD student, may help Lake
Huron get rid of these parasitic creatures. Green says his
three-year study that led to the discovery of how lampreys
process olfactory information may help enhance current odour-
based trapping strategies. “Right now, sex pheromones are put
into a trap to get migrating or spawning lamprey into a trap, so
it’s an effective method,” says Green. “With my work, we can
actually try and improve this by making an ultimate cocktail.”
By knowing what odours lampreys are most attracted to, Green
says it could make the current pheromone-based trapping strategy
even more effective. The species moved into the Great Lakes in
the early 20th century and have been decimating lake trout and
whitefish stocks, particularly in Lake Huron. Often described as
“vampires of the sea,” they su