Mordacia lapicida

{{Short description|Species of jawless fish}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Mordacia lapicida (Lamprea Chilena).JPG

| status = VU

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Colin, N. |year=2023 |title=Mordacia lapicida |volume=2023 |page=e.T13852A176561424 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T13852A176561424.en |access-date=9 January 2025}}

| genus = Mordacia

| species = lapicida

| authority = (J. E. Gray, 1851)

| synonyms = * Caragola lapicida J. E. Gray, 1851

• Petromyzon anwandteri Philippi 1863
• Petromyzon acutidens Philippi 1865

| synonyms_ref = {{FishBase family|family=Mordaciidae |ID=680|month= May|year= 2017}}

}}

Mordacia lapicida, also known as the Chilean lamprey, is a species of southern topeyed lamprey endemic to southern Chile, where it can be found in riverine and marine habitats. This species is anadromous. This parasitic lamprey can reach a length of {{convert|54|cm|in}} SL. Ammocoetes and adults of this species are found in rivers, and occur in fine sand along river banks.{{FishBase |genus= Mordacia|species= lapicida| month = April | year = 2013}} The life cycle of a Mordacia lapicida is divided into three life stages: freshwater rearing, an ocean parasite and an adult spawning stage.{{cite journal |last1=Quintella |first1=B.R |title=At-sea feeding ecology of parasitic lampreys |journal=Journal of Great Lakes Research |year=2021 |volume=47 |pages=S72–S89 |doi=10.1016/j.jglr.2021.07.008|bibcode=2021JGLR...47S..72Q |s2cid=238706584 |doi-access=free |hdl=10174/31175 |hdl-access=free }} Once in the adult stage, individuals migrate into marine waters where they attack and attach themselves to marine fishes.{{cite journal |last1=Miller |first1=Allison |title=The Southern Hemisphere Lampreys (Geotriidae and Mordaciidae) |journal=Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries |date=March 2021 |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=201–232 |doi=10.1007/s11160-021-09639-x|bibcode=2021RFBF...31..201M |s2cid=233676907 }} For this species, metamorphosis occurs during August and March.[https://www.fao.org/4/i2335e/i2335e02.pdf Lampreys of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lamprey species known to date.]