Rare, Blood-Sucking Fish With Rows Of Teeth Spotted On A Beach In The Netherlands

A rare, blood-sucking creature with rows of swirling teeth has been found on a beach in The Netherlands. According to Fox Weather, the three-foot-long sea lamprey was spotted by marine biologist Jaco Havermans last month as he walked along the beach. The creature has been found for the first time in six years. The beach where the sea lamprey has been found is located about 65 miles north of Amsterdam, according to NL Times. The fish doesn't have a proper bottom jaw but a copious amount of teeth.

Fox Weather said they belong to the oldest group of vertebrates, the Agnatha, which existed more than 400 million years ago before there were fish with jaws.

The lamprey has been given to Ecomare, a nature museum and aquarium. Museum officials told the outlet that they already have a sea lamprey in their collection and are expected to give this one to other museums.

What is a sea lamprey?

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a US government agency, sea lamprey is a parasitic fish native to the northern and western Atlantic Ocean. It is often confused with eels.

Unlike other fish, lampreys lack scales, fins, and gill covers and their skeletons are made of cartilage. 

The lampreys attack fish to suck the blood out using their sucker-shaped mouth. NOAA said the fish uses its rough tongue to rasp away other fish's flesh so it can feed on its host's blood and body fluids.

It further said that one sea lamprey kills about 40 pounds of fish every year.