Oncorhynchus Mykiss
From marinelife1011
| Oncorhynchus mykiss | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Osteichthyes |
| Order: | Salmoniformes |
| Family: | Salmonidae |
| Genus: | Oncorhynchus |
| Species: | O. mykiss |
| Binomial name | |
| Oncorhynchus mykiss |
|
Contents |
General
O. mykiss have a silver body and head with some dark shading on the upper scales. This is accompanied by many black scales the resemble black dots, which are randomly places around the upper half of the fish. Adult Steelhead tend to grow to lengths of about 45 inches, and weight up to around 55 pounds. The adult female trout tend to have a more rounded off nose, while the male tend to have a more pointed nose. Steelhead tend to live to a maximum of 11 years, but take only 2-3 year to mature into adults. They use sexual reproduction to reproduce, and they lay their eggs in fast-moving rivers with gravel and plenty of oxygen. Steeelhead are carnivores. As alevins and fry, they tend to feed on zooplankton. As they grow into smolts and adult salmon, they start feeding on larger prey such as insects, crayfish, mollusks, and other small fish.
Habitat/Distrinution
O. mykiss tend to be dispersed from the coast of California to Alaska; and then also around the Bering Sea and into the Kamchatka penninsula(which is located on the east coast of Russia between the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk) Some of the steelhead work their way through the rivers of Washington into Idaho. They live in rivers and the ocean their entire life. They tend to migrate out to the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean as adults. When they are ready to spawn they use a certain homing techniques to lead themselves back to the place where they were born to spawn. There are a few theories about how salmon home back to their natal grounds to spawn.
Conservation
Conservation efforts have been made for O. mykiss. Not only for the preservation of the species, but the sort of fishing for them as well. It is very profitable to the government to invest in the conservation of the sport because it promotes millions of dollars back to the government in the form of boating/fishing licenses, tourist attractions, as well as other services.
References
NOAA, Office of Protected Resources, Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/steelheadtrout.htm
