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
The Arctic lamprey inhabits the Arctic Ocean and the North Pacific.
There are still many unknowns about the ecology of the Arctic lamprey.
Katakana spelling is the most common written form for this species name.
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be widely recognized.
Alternate kanji spelling with okurigana; also rare.
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.