Coastal cutthroat trout
Encyclopedia
The coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) also known as the sea run cutthroat, or harvest trout are a subspecies of cutthroat trout
with an anadromous
life history.
Adults migrate from the ocean to spawn in fresh water. Juveniles migrate to the sea where they feed and become sexually mature before returning to fresh water to overwinter and spawn. Unlike steelhead and other Pacific salmon
, coastal cutthroat do not make lengthy migrations out to sea. Generally speaking, coastal cutthroat will remain in or near estuarine waters, usually within 5–10 mi (10–15km) of their natal stream. Some cutthroat, however, have been shown to move as far as 70 mi (110 km) into the open ocean. There are also lacustrine
and riverine populations that spend their entire lives in freshwater. One such population is the trout of Lake Crescent
in Washington state that was formerly considered to be a separate subspecies called the Crescenti trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii crescenti.
While some runs of coastal cutthroat are currently endangered, mainly in the southern part of the range, O. c. clarkii has fared better than some of the other subspecies.
Cutthroat trout
The cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...
with an anadromous
Fish migration
Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousands of kilometres...
life history.
Adults migrate from the ocean to spawn in fresh water. Juveniles migrate to the sea where they feed and become sexually mature before returning to fresh water to overwinter and spawn. Unlike steelhead and other Pacific salmon
Oncorhynchus
Oncorhynchus is a genus of fish in the family Salmonidae; it contains the Pacific salmons and Pacific trouts. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek onkos and rynchos , in reference to the hooked jaws of males in the mating season .-Range:Salmon and trout with ranges generally in waters...
, coastal cutthroat do not make lengthy migrations out to sea. Generally speaking, coastal cutthroat will remain in or near estuarine waters, usually within 5–10 mi (10–15km) of their natal stream. Some cutthroat, however, have been shown to move as far as 70 mi (110 km) into the open ocean. There are also lacustrine
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
and riverine populations that spend their entire lives in freshwater. One such population is the trout of Lake Crescent
Lake Crescent
Lake Crescent is a deep lake located entirely within Olympic National Park in Clallam County, Washington, United States, approximately west of Port Angeles, Washington on U.S. Route 101 and nearby to the small community of Piedmont...
in Washington state that was formerly considered to be a separate subspecies called the Crescenti trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii crescenti.
While some runs of coastal cutthroat are currently endangered, mainly in the southern part of the range, O. c. clarkii has fared better than some of the other subspecies.