Craig Evans has been leading coastal foraging excursions in South West Wales for seven years. He recently shared the striking photograph on his Instagram after discovering the multi-toothed creature during a fishing trip.
The creature in the picture has been described as a terrifying 'vampire' after being spotted in the water near the Welsh coastline.
The encounter with the vampire-like creature left Forager Craig Evans shocked, describing it as something out of the film 'Teeth.'
Surprisingly, this creature is a Sea Lamprey, a species that dates back 340 million years and can grow up to two feet in length.
The terrifying 'vampire creature' was called a Sea Lamprey. It features a distinctly circular mouth with horrifying teeth designed solely for extracting the blood of its prey.
He then posted about the shocking discovery of the creature, writing: 'While fishing for sea trout in a river in West Wales, I stumbled upon this lifeless Sea Lamprey.'"
"These wonders of nature spawn in freshwater, feed on tiny algae, and microorganisms until they migrate to sea to prey on larger fish."
"It's a fearsome mouth that attaches itself to the side of the fish and sucks its blood etc. This one was around 2ft in length and weighed around a Kilo."
"I was fortunate enough to stand over a number of these spawning in fast-flowing water about a foot deep."
"After spawning in June they all die. I've seen many of these over the years and the only mammal that eats them are otters and then only the last few inches of its tail".
"These ancient species of jawless fish are a sign of a healthy ecosystem".
Sea lampreys are prevalent in coastal areas of North America, Europe, and the Great Lakes region. These creatures live in the sea until reaching the spawning phase, during which they migrate upstream.
Accompanied by his loyal dog Llew, Evans notes that the presence of these ancient jawless fish on his tours signifies a healthy ecosystem
However, he concedes that creatures like these have likely served as inspiration for numerous science fiction movies.
The image has sparked a variety of reactions on social media platforms.
One person commented: I'm going to have nightmares. How can anyone in their right mind eat one of these vile-looking creatures?
A second wrote: look at the mouths of leeches and you will see exactly what this is. It's a sea leech.
A third said: It's a lamprey.. for god sake.. another endangered species due to our quest for inevitably...
