Threatened Species: Bull Trout

Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus), Idaho, September 2006

Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus), Idaho, September 2006

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The following information is borrowed from http://www.fpc.org/bulltrout/bulltrout_home.html

BULL TROUT - Salvelinus confluentus
The Bull Trout is a member of the North American salmon family, which includes salmon, trout, whitefish, char, and grayling, and is one of four species of char native to western North America. On June 10, 1998, the Bull Trout was designated as threatened in the Klamath and Columbia Rivers, and on November 01, 1999 was listed as threatened in the contiguous US under the ESA. A threatened species is defined as one that is considered likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. Bull Trout depend on very clean, cold water and therefore are a prime indicator of the health of forest ecosystems and watersheds.

Identification:
Bull Trout have a white leading edge on their fins and small, pale yellow to crimson spots against a darker background of olive green to brown on the back fading to white on the belly. Their tail is slightly forked and the dorsal fin lacks spots. They look very much like the anadromous Dolly Varden, but are larger and have a longer and broader head and exist mainly inland.

Life History:
Spawning maturity occurs at four to seven years and they can live 12 years. Unlike salmon, spawning adults survive to spawn again every two or three years. They spawn in fall after the temperature drops below 48 degrees Fahrenheit. The incubation period for their eggs is 4 to 5 months and they hatch in late winter to early spring. They like cold, clean, undisturbed waters. The young eat aquatic insects switching to mainly whitefish, sculpin and other trout as they grow. Bull Trout that live in streams rarely grow to more than 4 pounds, but lake inhabitants can weight above 20 pounds, with the U.S. record Bull Trout weighing in at 33 pounds.