Lampreys are identified as a long and slender fish, but lacking lower jaws which results in a downward facing mouth. Its body has no scales. The upper body of the Northern Brook Lamprey is dark grey or brown with a tail that is a darker shade of grey or black. The base of the dorsal fin is usually tan. The sides of the body are silver coloured. Lampreys have an average body length of about 15 centimeters (6 inches), clearly visible segments between the gills and anus, a continuous dorsal fin, an oval shaped caudual fin, a single nostril, and seven gillpores.
References
Reighard and Cummins,Description of a new species of lamprey of the genus *Ichthyomyzon*, 1916
IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 28 September 2007.