This species is of special interest because it has an extremely limited distribution, with all known animals contained within a single small drainage system,[4] and it is the smallest known parasitic lamprey in the world.

[5] The known larval streams for this lamprey were treated with lampricide[6] and a barrier was erected to prevent adults from entering to spawn.

Continued collection efforts yielded more animals, and in 2000, the group published a paper on the redescription of this lamprey.

[8] In an attempt to restore and protect the Miller Lake lamprey, restoration efforts to remove the barrier originally have been carried out, and surveys are done regularly to establish an understanding of the population's health.

[9] Understanding how evolutionary forces could drive speciation of a dwarf parasitic species of lamprey is a potential new area of research for scientists.