Brook trout

For the telecommunications company, see Brooktrout Technology.

Brook trout
Eastern brook trout

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Salvelinus
Subgenus: Baione
Species:
S. fontinalis
Binomial name
Salvelinus fontinalis
(Mitchill, 1814) 
Subspecies

†S. f. agassizii (Garman, 1885)
S. f. timagamiensis Henn & Rinckenbach, 1925

Synonyms[2]
previous scientific names
  • Salmo fontinalis Mitchill, 1814 Baione fontinalis (Mitchill, 1814) Salmo canadensis Griffith & Smith, 1834 Salmo hudsonicus Suckley, 1861 Salvelinus timagamiensis Henn & Rinckenbach, 1925

The brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus Salvelinus of the salmon family Salmonidae native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada.[3][4] Two ecological forms of brook trout have been recognized by the US Forest Service.[3] One ecological form is short-lived potamodromous populations in Lake Superior known as coaster trout or coasters. The second ecological form is the long-living predaceous anadromous populations which are found in northern lakes and coastal rivers from Long Island to Hudson Bay, which are referred to as salters.[5] In parts of its range, it is also known as the eastern brook trout, speckled trout, brook char (or charr), squaretail, brookie, or mud trout, among others.[6] Adult coaster brook trout are capable of reaching sizes over 2 feet in length and weigh up to 6.8 kg (15 lb), whereas adult salters average between 6 and 15 inches in length and weigh between 0.5 and 2.3 kg (1 and 5 lb).[7] The brook trout is characterized by its distinctive olive-green body with yellow and blue-rimmed red spots, white and black edged orange fins, and dorsal vermiculation.[8] The diet of the brook trout is restrictive to the season and location of the fish, but will typically consist of terrestrial and aquatic insects, fry, crustaceans, zooplankton, and worms.[3]

Throughout history, non-native brook trout have been transplanted beyond its native borders, where it has spread across North America and much of the world.[3] These brook trout have been introduced since the 1800s by means of artificial propagation and aquaculture in hope of promoting fishery resources.[9] Through this transplantation, brook trout have been observed to affect native populations by outcompeting, preying upon, and hybridizing with many native aquatic species.[10][11] This invasive nature via human-mediated introductory has led to their classification in the list of the top 100 globally invasive species.[12]

Since the 19th century, isolated native eastern brook trout populations have faced extirpation due to stream pollution, habitat destruction, invasive species, and waterway damming.[13] Although facing these pressures, the brook trout is not listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but native population decline has been observed.[14] Some local subspecies of brook trout, such as the aurora trout, are listed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.[15]

  1. ^ [1], NatureServe Explorer
  2. ^ "Synonyms of Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill, 1814)". Fishbase. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  3. ^ a b c d Adams, Pauline; James, Christopher; Speas, Clay (March 2008). "Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) Species and Conservation Assessment" (PDF). US Forest Service.
  4. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  5. ^ "History". Sea-Run Brook Trout Coalition. Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  6. ^ Common names of Salvelinus fontinalis FishBase, retrieved 22 May 2015
  7. ^ "Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  8. ^ "Brook Trout | Species Breakdown". HookedinFishing. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  9. ^ Kazyak, David C.; Rash, Jacob; Lubinski, Barbara A.; King, Tim L. (2018-02-01). "Assessing the impact of stocking northern-origin hatchery brook trout on the genetics of wild populations in North Carolina". Conservation Genetics. 19 (1): 207–219. Bibcode:2018ConG...19..207K. doi:10.1007/s10592-017-1037-4. ISSN 1572-9737.
  10. ^ Harbicht, Andrew B; Alshamlih, Mohammed; Wilson, Chris C; Dylan J, Fraser (May 2014). "Anthropogenic and habitat correlates of hybridization between hatchery and wild brook trout". Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 71 (5): 688–697. doi:10.1139/cjfas-2013-0460.
  11. ^ Day, Casey C; Landguth, Erin L; Bearlin, Andrew; Zachary A, Holden; Whiteley, Andrew R (May 2018). "Using simulation modeling to inform management of invasive species: A case study of eastern brook trout suppression and eradication". Biological Conservation. 221: 10–22. Bibcode:2018BCons.221...10D. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2018.01.017.
  12. ^ "100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species: A Selection From The Global Invasive Species Database", Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions, University of California Press, 2019-12-31, pp. 715–716, doi:10.1525/9780520948433-159, ISBN 978-0-520-94843-3, retrieved 2024-03-22
  13. ^ "Eastern Brook Trout: Status and Threats (2006) — EBTJV". easternbrooktrout.org. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  14. ^ "Conserving the Eastern Brook Trout: An Overview of Status, Threats, and Trends" (PDF). dep.nj.gov. December 2005. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  15. ^ Government of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada. "Information archivée dans le Web" (PDF). publications.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-22.