Trouts and salmons
Cutthroat Trout
Oncorhynchus
clarki
Description
To 30" (76 cm); 41 lbs (18.6 kg).
Elongate, cylindrical or terete, moderately compressed; back dark
olive; sides variable: silvery, olive, reddish to yellow-orange;
belly lighter; dark spots on back, sides, and on median fins. Mouth
extends beyond eye; basibranchial teeth present; bright red to
red-orange slash mark on each side of throat, particularly visible
in breeding males. 8-11 dorsal fin rays; 9-12 anal fin rays; adipose
fin present. Caudal peduncle narrow; caudal fin slightly forked.
Lateral line complete, 120-230 scales, usually 150 or
more.
Endangered Status
Three subspecies of the
Cutthroat Trout are on the U.S. Endangered Species List. The
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
is classified as threatened in California, Nevada, Oregon, and
Utah. The
Paiute Cutthroat Trout
is classified as threatened in California. The
Greenback Cutthroat Trout is
classified as threatened in Colorado. The decline of these
subspecies can be attributed to changes in habitat, usually caused
by water-management practices but also by livestock grazing and the
mining and timber industries; overfishing; and the introduction of
non-native fishes which prey upon, compete with, and hybridize with
the natives. A newly introduced illness called whirling disease may
also develop into a major threat.
Habitat
Inshore marine and estuarine waters;
lakes; coastal, inland, and alpine streams.
Range
From S. Alaska south to N. California;
inland from S. British Columbia and Alberta south to New Mexico; E.
California east to central Colorado. Introduced in W. United
States.
Discussion
There are more than 10 subspecies of
Cutthroat Trouts, locally called "native trout," which vary in
coloration and size. The largest specimen, caught in Pyramid Lake,
Nevada, in 1925, weighed 41 lbs (18.6 kg), but this strain is now
extinct. Other cutthroats, while rarely exceeding 15" (38 cm), are
important in the inland and coastal fishery, and are sought by
anglers.
Trouts and salmons