Cutthroat trout
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[Photo] Rio Grande cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis. Source: USFWS. Date December 05 2001. Author Hazzard, Lloyde / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Rights: public domain

The cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family (family Salmonidae) of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many trout.

Cutthroat trout are native to western North America. Some populations live primarily in the Pacific Ocean as adults and return to fresh water from fall through early spring, to feed on freshwater insects and to spawn, however most populations stay in freshwater throughout their lives. At least three subspecies are confined to isolated basins in the Great Basin and can tolerate saline or alkaline water. All subspecies of cutthroat trout are sought after gamefish, especially via fly fishing.

Cutthroat are similar to rainbow trout and will readily interbreed, producing fertile hybrids. Cutthroat trout vary widely in size, coloration, and habitats. Though their coloration can range from golden to gray to green on their backs, depending on subspecies and habitat, all populations feature red, pink, or orange marks on the bottom of their jaws, which are the easiest diagnostic of the species for the casual observer. As adults, different populations and subspecies of cutthroat can range from six to almost forty inches in length, which means size is not an effective indicator of the species.

There are about 14 separate subspecies of cutthroat trout, including:

Alvord cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki alvordensis; possibly extinct) Named in 2002.
Bonneville cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki utah
Coastal cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki clarki
Colorado River cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki pleuriticus
Crescenti trout Oncorhynchus clarki crescenti
Greenback cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki stomias (threatened)
Lahontan cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi (threatened)
Paiute cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki seleniris (threatened)
Rio Grande cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis
Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki subsp. Named Oncorhynchus clarki behnkei, 1995 & 2002.
Westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi
Yellowfin cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki macdonaldi (extinct)
Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutthroat_trout

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