The Oregon Zoo gained a group of VIJFs (very important jawless fish) last week as 25 Pacific lamprey arrived from nearby Willamette Falls. Though the zoo has welcomed this ancient eel-like species before, it’s the first time a cohort from the Willamette Falls population has been in human care.
“This is a very special group of Pacific lamprey,” said Jen Osburn Eliot, who oversees the zoo’s northwest area. “They’re part of a larger effort to restore this population. Willamette Falls lamprey carry some of the greatest genetic diversity for their species, but they’re also at risk.”
The zoo lamprey are part of a tribal-led effort that collects the fish downriver and moves them to areas above the dams where they used to live. This group of 25 will stay at the zoo through the winter and be transported above the Detroit dam on the North Santiam River once they’re ready to spawn.
Additional lamprey collected at Willamette Falls will be translocated directly to the new location, without spending time in human care. Comparing the different overwintering approaches could provide valuable information on how best to restore the species, wildlife officials say.
“We’ll use DNA fingerprinting of the zoo lamprey to identify their offspring and compare their reproductive success with that of lamprey released directly at Detroit Reservoir,” said Jon Hess, senior fisheries geneticist for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. “Having a sample group at the zoo will allow us to learn more about the timing of their maturation as well.”
Guests can visit the lamprey in the zoo’s Great Northwest area, where they are often seen suctioned onto the glass of their habitat windows, showcasing sucker-like mouths and concentric rings of sharp yellow teeth. Preceding dinosaurs and even trees, this 400-million-year-old native species is an important part of the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest.
Though their story is ancient, the lamprey’s cultural significance continues to this day. Yakama Nation is hosting its 2025 Willamette Falls Lamprey Celebration today at Clackamette Park in Oregon City. The celebration will include an asúm (Pacific lamprey) harvest with cultural dancing, guest speakers, food and a boat tour to the falls.
The Pacific lamprey, a long fish with a jawless mouth and no scales, has survived three ice ages and five mass extinctions, but populations have declined over the past 75 years due to habitat loss, passage barriers, climate change and food scarcity. They are now considered a species of concern by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as well as the Oregon and Washington state fish and wildlife agencies.
In 2019, CRITFC and its member tribes partnered with the Oregon Zoo and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to create a new lamprey exhibit celebrating this ancient, important fish. The exhibit has since connected millions of guests with the story of lamprey, their cultural significance and why humans need to protect them.
Source: Oregon Zoo