Cutthroat trout

This article is about cutthroat trout. For other uses, see Cut-throat.

Cutthroat trout
Drawing of two trout swimming
Coastal cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii, the type subspecies

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Oncorhynchus
Species:
O. clarkii
Binomial name
Oncorhynchus clarkii
Subspecies
Subspecies
  • Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii
    O. c. alvordensis†
    O. c. behnkei
    O. c. bouvierii
    O. c. henshawi (threatened)
    O. c. humboldtensis
    O. c. lewisi
    O. c. macdonaldi†
    O. c. pleuriticus
    O. c. seleniris (threatened)
    O. c. stomias (threatened)
    O. c. utah
    O. c. virginalis
Range map of Cutthroat trout (Onchorynchus clarkii)
Synonyms[3]
Other scientific names
  • Salmo clarkii (Richardson, 1836) Fario clarkii (Richardson, 1836) Parasalmo clarkii (Richardson, 1836) Salmo clarkii clarkii (Richardson, 1836) Salmo clarki (Richardson, 1836) Salmo clarki clarki (Richardson, 1836) Fario stellatus (Girard, 1856) Salmo stellatus (Girard, 1856) Salar lewisi (Girard, 1856) Salmo lewisi (Girard, 1856) Salmo clarki lewisi (Girard, 1856) Salmo clarkii lewisi (Girard, 1856) Salmo brevicauda (Suckley, 1861) Salmo pleuriticus (Cope, 1872) Salmo purpuratus bouvieri (Jordan & Gilbert, 1883) Salmo clarkii alpestris (Dymond, 1931) Salmo mykiss (non Walbaum, 1792) Salmo purpuratus (non Pallas, 1814)

The cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus sp.) is a group of four fish species[4][5] of the family Salmonidae native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin in North America. These four species are the Coastal (O. clarkii), Westslope (O. lewisi), Lahontan (O. henshawi), and the Rocky Mountain (O. virginalis). As a member of the genus Oncorhynchus, it is in the Pacific trout group, which includes the widely distributed rainbow trout. Cutthroat trout are popular gamefish, especially among anglers who enjoy fly fishing. The common name "cutthroat" refers to the distinctive red coloration on the underside of the lower jaw. The specific name clarkii was given to honor explorer William Clark, coleader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Cutthroat trout usually inhabit and spawn in small to moderately large, clear, well-oxygenated, shallow rivers with gravel bottoms. They reproduce in clear, cold, moderately deep lakes. They are native to the alluvial or freestone streams that are typical tributaries of the rivers of the Pacific Basin, Great Basin and Rocky Mountains. Cutthroat trout spawn in the spring and may inadvertently but naturally hybridize with rainbow trout, producing fertile cutbows. Some populations of the coastal cutthroat trout (O. c. clarkii) are semi-anadromous.

Several subspecies of cutthroat trout are currently listed as threatened in their native ranges due to habitat loss and the introduction of non-native species. Two subspecies, O. henshawi alvordensis and O. virginalis macdonaldi, are considered extinct. Cutthroat trout are raised in hatcheries to restore populations in their native range, as well as stock non-native lake environments to support angling. The cutthroat trout type species and several subspecies are the official state fish of seven western U.S. states.

  1. ^ Hammerson, G. (March 12, 2003). "Oncorhynchus clarkii Cutthroat Trout". NatureServe. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  2. ^ Richardson, John; Swainson, William; Kirby, William (1836). Fauna boreali-americana, or, The Zoology of The Northern Parts of British America: Containing Descriptions of The Objects of Natural History Collected on The Late Northern Land Expedition, Under Command of Captain Sir John Franklin, R.N. London: J. Murray. pp. 225–226.
  3. ^ "Synonyms of Oncorhynchus clarkii (Richardson, 1836)". Fishbase. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference BehnkeOclarki-138 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).