Rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss · The rainbow trout is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia.

Also called Steelhead, Coastal rainbow trout, Golden Rainbow Trout.

Rainbow trout
Photo: Purefury182, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rainbow trout
Photo: Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0
Rainbow trout
Photo: Meine Mutter (Erlaubnis liegt vor), CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderSalmoniformes
FamilySalmonidae
GenusOncorhynchus
SpeciesOncorhynchus mykiss

Where it lives

Cold rivers draining to the Pacific in North America and Kamchatka; stocked worldwide.

Fun facts

  • The anadromous steelhead form usually spends two to three years living in the ocean before returning to freshwater to spawn.
  • Lake-dwelling and sea-run rainbow trout can grow up to 9 kilograms (20 lb), much larger than typical river-dwelling trout.
  • A female rainbow trout digs her nest, called a redd, by turning on her side and beating her tail up and down against the gravel.
  • A single female can lay 2,000 to 3,000 eggs for every kilogram of her body weight.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).