Rainbow trout

Naming

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A few populations are recognized as subspecies:
⤷  Kamchatkan rainbow trout, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss mykiss'' .
⤷  Columbia River redband trout, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdnerii'' .
⤷  Coastal rainbow trout , ''Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus'' .
⤷  Beardslee trout, isolated in Lake Crescent , ''Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus'' var. ''beardsleei'' .
⤷  Great Basin red trout, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii'' .
⤷  Golden trout, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita'' .
⤷  Kamloops rainbow trout, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss kamloops'' .
⤷  Kern River rainbow trout, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita'' var. ''gilberti'' .
⤷  Sacramento golden trout, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita'' var. ''stonei'' .
⤷  Little Kern golden trout, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita'' var. ''whitei'' .
⤷  Baja California rainbow trout, Nelson's trout, or San Pedro Martir trout, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss nelsoni'' .
⤷  Eagle Lake trout, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss aquilarum'' .
⤷  McCloud River redband, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss stonei''
⤷  Sheepheaven Creek redband, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss'' spp.
⤷  Southern California steelhead DPS, ''Oncorhynchus mykiss''

Status

Steelhead trout populations have declined due to human and natural causes. Steelheads historically occurred around the North Pacific Ocean from northwestern Mexico in North America to eastern Russia in Asia.

Two West Coast Evolutionarily Significant Units are endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act and eight ESUs are threatened. The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has a detailed description of threats. Southern California ESU steelheads have been affected by habitat loss due to dams, confinement of streams in concrete channels, water pollution, groundwater pumping, urban heat island effects, and other byproducts of urbanization.

Several studies have shown almost all California coastal steelheads are of native origin, despite over a century of hatchery stocking. Genetic analysis shows that South Central California Coast distinct population segment and Southern California DPS from Malibu Creek north, and including the San Gabriel River, Santa Ana River and San Mateo Creek, are not hatchery strains. However, steelheads from Topanga Creek and the Sweetwater River were partly, and from San Juan Creek completely, of hatchery origin. Genetic analysis has also shown the steelheads in the streams of the Santa Clara County and Monterey Bay basins are not of hatchery origin, including the Coyote Creek, Guadalupe River, Pajaro River, Permanente Creek, Stevens Creek, San Francisquito Creek, San Lorenzo River, and San Tomas Aquino Creek basins. Natural waterfalls and two major dams have isolated Russian River anadromous steelheads from its freshwater rainbow trout form above the impassable barriers; however, a recent genetic study of fin samples collected from steelheads at 20 different sites both above and below passage barriers in the watershed found that despite the fact that 30 million hatchery trout were stocked in the river from 1911 to 1925, the steelheads remain of native and not hatchery stock.

The rainbow trout is susceptible to enteric redmouth disease. A considerable amount of research has been conducted on redmouth disease, given its serious implications for rainbow trout farmers. The disease does not affect humans.

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has identified 15 populations, called distinct population segments , in Washington, Oregon and California. Eleven of these DPSs are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act . One DPS on the Oregon Coast is designated a U.S. Species of Concern. Species of Concern are those species that lack sufficient data to determine whether to list the species under the ESA.

Rainbow trout, and subspecies thereof, are currently EPA-approved indicator species for acute fresh water toxicity testing.

In 2010, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery expects to more than double its take over 2009. The 2009 population grew 60% over 2008. Hatchery-taken fish will spawn tens of thousands of juvenile "smolts" that will be released to swim downstream and mature in the Pacific.

In March 2010, the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported the New Zealand mud snail had infested watersheds in the Santa Monica Mountains, complicating efforts to improve stream-water quality for the steelheads. According to the article, the snails have expanded "from the first confirmed sample in Medea Creek in Agoura Hills to nearly 30 other stream sites in four years." Researchers at the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission believe the snails' expansion may have been expedited after the mollusks traveled from stream to stream on the gear of contractors and volunteers.

Hatcheries have also been demonstrated to present a risk to wild steelhead populations. Releases of conventionally reared hatchery steelheads pose ecological risks to pre-existing wild steelhead populations. Hatchery steelheads are typically larger than the wild forms, and can displace wild-form juveniles from optimal habitats. Dominance of hatchery steelheads for optimal microhabitats within streams may reduce wild steelhead survival as a result of reduced foraging opportunity and increased rates of predation.

Behavior

The oceangoing form, including those returning for spawning, are known as steelhead, in Canada and the United States. In Australia they are known as ocean trout, although they are the same species.

Like salmon, steelhead return to their original hatching ground to spawn. Similar to Atlantic salmon, but unlike their Pacific ''Oncorhynchus'' salmonid kin, steelhead are iteroparous and make several spawning trips between fresh and salt water. The steelhead smolts remain in the river for about a year before heading to sea, whereas salmon typically return to the seas as smolts. Different steelhead populations migrate upriver at different times of the year. "Summer-run steelhead" migrate between May and October, before their reproductive organs are fully mature. They mature in freshwater before spawning in the spring. Most Columbia River steelhead are "summer-run". "Winter-run steelhead" mature fully in the ocean before migrating, between November and April, and spawn shortly after returning. The maximum recorded life-span for a rainbow trout is 11 years.

Food

Rainbow trout are predators with a varied diet, and will eat nearly anything they can grab. Their image as selective eaters is only a legend. Rainbows are not quite as piscivorous or aggressive as brown trout or lake trout . Young rainbows survive on insects, fish eggs, and smaller fish , along with crayfish and other crustaceans. As they grow, though, the proportion of fish consumed increases in most populations. Some lake-dwelling lines may become planktonic feeders. While in flowing waters populated with salmonids, trout eat varied fish eggs, including salmon and cutthroat trout, as well as the eggs of other rainbow trout, alevin, fry, smolt and leftover carcasses from other fish.Rainbow trout is popular in Western cuisine, and is caught wild and farmed. It has tender flesh and a mild, somewhat nutty flavor. Farmed trout and trout taken from certain lakes have a pronounced earthy flavor which some people find unappealing. Wild rainbow trout that eat scuds , insects such as flies, and crayfish are the most appealing. Farmed trout and some populations of wild trout, especially anadromous steelhead, have red/orange flesh as a result of high astaxanthin levels in their diets. Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant that may be from a natural source or synthetically produced. The resulting pink flesh is sometimes marketed under names such as Ruby Red or Carolina Red.

The flavour of the meat is related to the size of the fish, fish larger than 1 kg having more flavour than small trout just as beef is more flavourful than veal. Steelhead meat is pink like that of salmon, and is more flavorful than the light-colored meat of rainbow trout.

The sperm of rainbow trout contains protamine, which counters the anticoagulant heparin. Protamine was originally isolated from fish sperm, but is now produced synthetically.

Cultural

Rainbow trout are farmed in many countries throughout the world. Since the 1950s, commercial production has grown exponentially, particularly in Europe and recently in Chile. Worldwide, in 2007, 604,695 tonnes of farmed salmon trout were harvested with a value of US$ 2.589 billion. The largest producer is Chile. In Chile and Norway, ocean cage production of steelheads has expanded to supply export markets. Inland production of rainbow trout to supply domestic markets has increased in countries such as Italy, France, Germany, Denmark and Spain. Other significant producing countries include the USA, Iran, Germany and the United Kingdom.

There are tribal commercial fisheries for steelhead in Puget Sound, the Washington Coast and in the Columbia River.