What if we told you that in the depths of the icy and dark waters of the St. Lawrence River there roam monsters that would send shivers down your spine? That there are predators that can lure their victims, suck their blood and shatter their bones? Dive into the depths of the estuary and gulf to discover these creatures.
The sea lamprey, bloodthirsty vampire
Photo album: The sea lamprey is a prehistoric fish that drinks the blood of its prey.
The sea lamprey chooses a very bloodthirsty hunting method: it drinks the blood of its victims.
Thanks to its mouth lined with sharp teeth and scratchy tongue, this parasite will latch on to any fish that dares approach it. The lamprey then uses its tongue to scrape off the skin and muscles of its prey. Its anticoagulant saliva prevents the victim’s blood from clotting, making it easier to consume. Once the sea lamprey is satisfied, it leaves a gaping hole in its prey.
This fish, which lives year-round in the estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, appeared more than 400 million years ago. It is one of the oldest known land animals, emphasizes biologist and head of the living collection at Exploramer, Mathieu Lemonde-Landry.
The sea lamprey can grow up to one meter long.
It is also counted among the anadromous fish such as salmon. It is born in the freshwater of rivers, spends its adult life in saltwater and returns to freshwater to spawn, explains the biologist.
As juveniles, sea lampreys remain buried in the river substrate and filter the water by eating microorganisms. Only once in the St. Lawrence River does it transform into this bloodthirsty parasite.
The leatherback turtle and its teeth
The leatherback turtle is the largest sea turtle in the world. Some of them are almost two meters long and can weigh an average of 600 kilograms. Although she appears to have a friendly face, wait until she opens her mouth to show you her teeth.
The biologist from Exploreramer describes the leatherback turtle as having a mouth worthy of a horror film.
Photo Album: The leatherback turtle visits the rich waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in summer.
Its large mouth, covered with spines up to the esophagus, is perfect for crushing its favorite prey: jellyfish. Jellyfish are about 90% water. It moves a lot, it’s hard to catch and hold on to it. The little spines really help hold it in place and allow it to be swallowed, says Mr. Lemonde-Landry.
In one day the leatherback turtle can eat its weight in jellyfish.
In summer it visits the rich waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence before moving to the South Atlantic. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed it on its Red List. It is considered critically endangered.
The American anglerfish, spirit of the shallows
In the depths of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the lower estuary, the American anglerfish carefully prepares for hunting.
This flattened, meter-long fish does not go unnoticed. Therefore, it initially buries itself partially in the sandy soil while it waits for its prey.
But hidden at depths of up to 700 meters, where animals are sometimes rarer, the American anglerfish must lure its prey.
There is a small piece of meat hanging from the end of its fin, which it waves above its head to attract fish that are a bit too curious. Half-buried, almost untraceable like a ghost, she waits. As soon as its prey is discovered, it opens its mouth so quickly that a suction effect is created. The fish has no chance, it is sucked towards its death.
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The American anglerfish can grow to around 1.2 meters long and weighs an average of 20 kilograms.
Photo: Getty Images / Matt Cardy
They are very voracious fish that can eat anything that comes their way, so they are not picky eaters. We have even found seabirds in their stomachs, reveals Mr. Lemonde-Landry. A bird such as a gannet that dives and gets a little too close is not safe from being caught.
According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, American monkfish can live up to 11 years.
The bite of the sea worm
Be careful when walking on the beaches of the estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence and picking up rocks. Huge worms that look like centipedes could be lurking in the sand. But be careful, a Canadian millipede measures up to five centimeters. Marine worms can reach a length of more than 30 centimeters.
Photo album: Various species of marine worms occur in the St. Lawrence River. The most common is Allita virens.
In addition to its impressive size, the Nereis sea worm, also called Allita virens, has two rigid hooks near its mouth. It can cause bites that can be very painful if not handled carefully, warns Mathieu Lemonde-Landry.
The Nereis sea worm is a scavenger. It feeds on remains of algae or dead animals. However, it also manages to hunt small invertebrates.
Although it looks like an insect, the sea worm does not use its legs. Its thousands of hairs are actually gills, says the Exploreramer biologist. It’s really breathing, he explains.
Male Allita virens take on a metallic bluish hue during breeding season to attract females.
The Atlantic Wolf, the sea werewolf
Photo album: In addition to the Atlantic wolf, the spotted wolf and the broad-headed wolf also live in the St. Lawrence River.
Sharp teeth to tear flesh, flat teeth to shatter bones, gaunt, hungry look… We immediately think of the wolf. Make no mistake, it is the Atlantic wolf that hides in the seabed of the St. Lawrence River.
Its diverse teeth and rigid palate allow it to eat the toughest creatures in salt water. Sea urchins, starfish, crabs, bourgot, it’s all there. It will crush and chew its prey to devour it, reveals Mathieu Lemonde-Landry.
According to the biologist, the variety of teeth in the mouth of the Atlantic sea bass is rare among fish. Fish usually have identical teeth that are used practically only for grasping prey and not for chewing. And they have two masses on the palate to break the shells, he says.
The Atlantic wolffish does not swim very well or very quickly. Because it doesn’t swim, it is doomed to stay at the bottom of the water and nibble on everything it finds near its burrow, says the biologist. It is about 1.5 meters long and weighs 20 kilograms.
Its cousins, the spotted wolves and the northern wolves, are listed as threatened species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
Ctenophores, these aliens
Photo album: Various types of ctenophores occur side by side in the St. Lawrence River, such as: B. Beroeas, Flat Sea gooseberries and Bolinopsis.
The sight of this alien-looking carnivore raises serious questions about its condition. The magnificent and enigmatic ctenophores look like they came straight from a film about creatures from the afterlife. How do they produce light?
These translucent creatures actually just absorb rays of light, similar to prisms. The refraction of light with the movement of the eyelashes creates this multi-colored movement effect. But it is not light that the animal itself emits, explains the biologist from Exploreramer.
Unlike jellyfish, which have stinging cells on their tentacles, ctenophores use sticky cells to grab their prey. To us, these little balls seem harmless, but for small plankton, encountering them can be fatal.
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The Saint Lawrence River in autumn (archive photo)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Sandra Fillion
Although their appearance is reminiscent of Halloween monsters, these sea creatures play a big role in maintaining a healthy St. Lawrence River, recalls biologist Mathieu Lemonde-Landry. Biodiversity is a collective wealth […] All species are related to each other.
The St. Lawrence still holds thousands of secrets. We don’t know everything about this environment, which contains many unknowns. It’s important to protect biodiversity instead of later saying: “Oops, maybe we should have done that!”