Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) lives in freshwater across North American Freshwater. It feeds on insects and crustaceans. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Rainbow Trout
- A single trout can tip the scales at 20 lb, dwarfing most backyard fish. Adult freshwater stream rainbow trout average between 0.5 and 2.5 kilograms (1 and 5 lb), while lake-dwelling and anadromous forms may reach 9 kg (20 lb). Yet humans have shipped the species to at least 45 countries and every continent except Antarctica, turning a native Pacific predator into a global invader. This size and spread mean anglers can encounter trophy-sized trout far from their original rivers, but also that ecosystems worldwide face a new, heavyweight competitor.
- A rainbow trout can live longer than most sport fish, reaching an 11-year record. The maximum recorded lifespan for a rainbow trout is 11 years. Female rainbow trout usually produce 2000 to 3000 4-to-5-millimetre (5⁄32-3⁄16 in) eggs per kilogram of weight, so a 2-kg adult can lay up to 6 000 eggs in a single redd. This prolific output combined with a relatively long life fuels both natural populations and the massive hatchery industry that fuels worldwide angling.
- During periods of rapid growth and aging, trout display high levels of metabolic activity. With age, the heart showed more unsaturated phospholipids, which are more susceptible to peroxidation, and thus, damage. The brain mitochondria of rainbow trout show decreased levels of docosahexaenoic acid and a lower peroxidation index, suggesting a lower susceptibility to damage by oxidative stress.
- Steelhead can return to their birth stream again and again, but most never survive a second trip. steelhead are iteroparous (able to spawn several times, each time separated by months) and make several spawning trips between fresh and salt water, although fewer than 10 percent of native spawning adults survive from one spawning to another. The survival rate for introduced populations in the Great Lakes is as high as 70 percent.
- Rainbow trout rank among the world's worst ecological hitchhikers, sitting on the top-100 invasive species list. The rainbow trout is included in the list of the top 100 globally invasive species. Introductions to locations outside their native range in the United States, Southern Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South America have damaged native fish species. This means that a trout can out-compete, prey on, or disease-spread to local fish, reshaping aquatic communities.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeNorth American Freshwater
HabitatFreshwater
DietInsects and crustaceans
About the Rainbow Trout
In the crystal clear waters of its native habitats, the rainbow trout dances with effortless elegance, its iridescent scales flashing like shards of stained glass as it darts and weaves through the currents. With a fluidity that belies its powerful physique, it navigates the submerged landscape, its delicate fins propelling it with precision and speed. As it breaks the surface, the sunlight catches its back, igniting a fleeting display of colour that is at once mesmerizing and humbling, a testament to the beauty and resilience of this remarkable creature.
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