Lamprey facts

❚ The lamprey geotria australis is native to New Zealand. ❚ The lamprey is threatened and nationally vulnerable under the Conservation Act ❚ They have no bones, just cartilage, which makes it difficult to estimate their age. ❚ The lamprey grows to an average of 50 centimetres. ❚ After the eggs hatch, they stay in freshwater for up to three years before going to sea. ❚ After three or four years at sea, they return to spawn and then die.