noun
Arctic lamprey; Lethenteron camtschaticum
A species of lamprey found in Arctic and northern Pacific waters. In Japanese, the name is usually written in katakana as カワヤツメ.
See also: シベリアヤツメ
カワヤツメは北極海や北太平洋に生息する。
The Arctic lamprey inhabits the Arctic Ocean and the North Pacific.
カワヤツメの生態に
There are still many unknowns about the ecology of the Arctic lamprey.
Siberian lamprey (Lethenteron kessleri), a closely related species. カワヤツメ is the Arctic lamprey, while シベリアヤツメ is a different species found in Siberia.
The name カワヤツメ literally means 'river eight eyes', referring to the lamprey's gill openings which resemble eyes. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.