Summary ²

Family: Salmonidae

Rainbow trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss) are a popular sport fish. Originally from the Pacific Northwest. Now found in the big lakes, some larger inland lakes and cold-water streams of the Great Lakes. Several strains have been introduced into the Great Lakes, so this species goes by many names. Those in streams are often referred to as rainbow trout, whereas the “lake form” is often called steelhead. Will migrate up streams to reproduce, but the exact timing depends upon the strain.

How to recognize: Small fleshy fin on the back in front of the tail. Small black spots on body and head. Small black dots on upper and lower lobes of tail, with the dots organized into lines. Entire inside of mouth is white. May have a reddish stripe from head to tail. Up to 3 feet /0.9 meters long.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) alavire, all rights reserved
2. (c) alavire, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CalPhotos
• Fish Database of Taiwan
• FishBase
• FishSource
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• NBN Atlas
• VertNet
• World Register of Marine Species
• 日本のレッドデータ検索システム

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