ARE LAMPREYS EELS OR FISH? You might be surprised to learn that lampreys – and eels – are indeed fish! At first glance, lampreys can be confused with eels (both have long, slender bodies). Although both species are fishes, they are very different and are not closely related.

Are lampreys related to eels?

When European settlers first saw the Pacific lamprey, they called them “eels” thinking they were the same food fish found throughout the eastern United States and Europe. Despite their similar body shape, the lamprey and eel are not even closely related (Lamprey are actually more closely related to hagfish and sharks).

What type of fish is a lamprey?

Lampreys /ˈlæmpreɪz/ (sometimes inaccurately called lamprey eels) are an ancient extant lineage of jawless fish of the order Petromyzontiformes /ˌpɛtroʊmɪˈzɒntɪfɔːrmiːz/, placed in the superclass Cyclostomata. The adult lamprey may be characterized by a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth.