Category:Rainbow Trout

RAINBOW TROUT
Length: 12-36 inches 20-48 inches (50-122 cm) for steelheads Weight: 5.5-22lbs. (2.5-10 kg for steelheads World Record: 43 lbs. 6oz. (ocean) 31.27 lbs. (freshwater) Name: Rainbow trout Kingdom: Animalia					              Phylum: Chordata						 Class: Actinopterygii					  Order: Salmoniformes				              Family: Salmonidae					  Genus: Oncorhynchus (means “hook snout”)	  Species: O. mykiss (Kamchatkan name for rainbow trout)

Binomial name: Onchorhynchus mykiss Other names it goes by: silver trout, coast rainbow trout,  Steelhead trout, steelhead, and ocean trout are the names given to these fish when they live in saltwater.

Where they live: in freshwater and saltwater. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. (They were not originally on all continents and have been introduced in some locations in South America and Australia with very negative effects—eating the native fish, out competing the native fish or bringing new diseases to the fish population of those regions.)

What they eat: mostly smaller fish, but also aquatic insects and their larvae, crayfish, mollusks, salmon carcasses, fish eggs, other crustaceans, plankton, plant material and small mammals. (It is said that as rainbow trout grow, they eat more fish and less insects. The most delectable rainbow trout are those that feed on freshwater shrimp (scuds) and crawdads, as it gives them  an orangish-pink flesh.  The steelhead's flesh is a salmon pink and more tasty than the paler-colored rainbow trout.  Rainbow trout grown on farms usually have a different earthy flavor.

How it can be identified: -silver around the black pupil -mouth does not extend beyond back of eye -body shape is streamlined salmonid, ranging from slender to thick -back color ranges from blue-green to olive -rainbow trout in rivers are usually darker and more brilliant -rainbow trout in lakes and streams are lighter -steelheads are more silvery -pink to red stripe running lengthwise from gill cover to the caudal fin, faint to radiant in tone -rainbow trout vary in color from blue, green, to yellow-green or brown—with pink, red, 		 or mauve stripe--it looks like a rainbow -steelheads have steel-colored sides and do not usually have pink or red stripe -silver, fading to white on belly -small black spots on head, back, belly, and across dorsal and caudal fins -males change color, head and mouth shape when migrating to and during the spawning season -tail fin is slightly forked -there are 8-12 rays on anal fin Life cycle: -female trout dig out a shallow nest in gravel riffles about 4-12 inches deep and 10-15 inches in diameter -male trout cover the nest with gravel -eggs can hatch in as little as 21 days if the water temperature is 55° f or warmer, but can take up to 4 months in colder water -a few weeks after hatching, the small fry emerge from the gravel -as fingerlings (2-5 inches), they swim in groups along stream margins or protected lake shores -small trout eat insects and their larvae, plant material, and crustaceans -after 2-3 years they move into larger bodies of water and eat larger prey -they are considered adult usually at 5-7 years old -they return to their native freshwater home to spawn (2-4) times in their life span, even if they became steelheads

Rainbow trout, colored steel-blue, blue-green, or yellow-green to brown on their backs, with silvery sides and silvery-white bellies, typically weigh 2-8 pounds and range from 20-30 inches in freshwater and 20-48 inches in saltwater. They are found in waters in every continent of the world except Antarctica. They prefer water less than 70°F and are usually found in water shallower than 35 feet if they are freshwater trout.

Rainbow trout spawn (lay eggs) in late winter to early spring and may do this 2-4 times in their lifetime, whereas salmon only do this once in their lifetime. Eggs are laid in shallow nests (4-12 inches deep and 10-15 inches wide) dug by the female. The male covers over the eggs with gravel. At water temperatures of about 55°F, the eggs will hatch in about 21 days, but they could take up to four months to hatch depending on the water temperature. They require continuous oxygenation.

Fishing success is typically greatest in the spring and fall just before and after the large salmon runs. Rainbow trout are voracious feeders, strong swimmers, and exhilarating fighters. They strike at a wide variety of lures, baits, and flies.