WILDER — As sea lamprey spawning season gets underway, wildlife officials are urging anglers and the public against disturbing the eel-like fish, which are native to the Connecticut River basin. 

A separate population of sea lamprey are actively controlled as an invasive species in Lake Champlain, which can cause confusion, a news release from the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife reads.

Sea lamprey return to the Connecticut River from the ocean each spring to spawn, swimming as far upstream as the Wilder Dam and moving into many of the river’s tributaries, including the White River. 

Adult sea lamprey die shortly after spawning, and “their carcasses play a critical role in cycling important marine nutrients into freshwater ecosystems,” the news release reads. Lamprey remain in freshwater for the first few years of their lives before returning to the ocean.