2023-Dec-08
New Compound May Help Expand Sea Lamprey Control
Researchers have discovered a new chemical compound that makes it difficult for invasive sea lamprey to find their breeding grounds. Petromyzonol tetrasolfate, or 3sPZS as it is known, is similar to a natural pheromone that male sea lampreys release in rivers and streams before breeding. The natural pheromone attracts females ready to breed to the males’ nests, but when 3sPZS is released into a river system, females can’t find the nests and are unable to breed.
Initial tests are promising. 3sPZS naturally break down in the water and due to its similarity to the naturally occurring pheromone, it only influences the invasive sea lamprey. Current strategies for controlling sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes include barriers and the application of a lampricide known as TFM which kills lamprey larvae in rivers and streams where they hatch. This new pheromone could be another useful control tactic to protect the Great Lakes fishery from the invasive sea lamprey.
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