Aurora trout facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aurora trout |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Salmoniformes |
| Family: | Salmonidae |
| Genus: | Salvelinus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
S. f. timagamiensis
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| Trinomial name | |
| Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis Henn & Rinckenbach, 1925
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The aurora trout, known scientifically as Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis, is a special type of brook trout. It is a subspecies, which means it's like a unique cousin to the regular brook trout. This fish naturally lives in only two lakes in the Temagami area of Ontario, Canada.
People first learned about the aurora trout in 1923. Some American fishermen, guided by Archie King, found these unique fish in Ontario's Lady Evelyn River system. They thought the fish looked special. So, they took one to the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, United States. There, a scientist named Dr. Arthur W. Henn studied it. In 1925, he and Rinckenbach first thought it was a completely new species. But later, in 1967, other scientists agreed it was actually a subspecies of the brook trout.
Contents
What Makes Aurora Trout Special?
The aurora trout looks different from other brook trout. Its unique colors help tell it apart.
How Does It Look?
- Aurora trout usually do not have spots.
- Their color changes from a deep pink or purple on their back.
- This color fades to a bright, almost glowing orange on their belly.
- This bright orange is especially noticeable in male fish when they are ready to mate.
Size and Life
- The aurora trout lives a life very similar to the brook trout.
- Adult aurora trout usually weigh about 0.5 to 1.5 kilograms (about 1 to 3 pounds).
- Some larger ones have been found, weighing up to 4 kilograms (about 9 pounds).
Where Do Aurora Trout Live?
The aurora trout originally lived in a very small area. They were found in only two lakes: Whitepine Lake and Whirligig Lake. They also lived in the small streams that flowed into these lakes.
A Close Call with Extinction
In the late 1950s, the aurora trout disappeared from their original lakes. This happened because of acid rain, which made the lake water too acidic for them to survive. This is called local extinction.
Luckily, the fish were saved from complete extinction. Paul Graf, who managed a fish hatchery for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, had brought some aurora trout to his hatchery. This hatchery was located at Hill's Lake near Charlton, Ontario. He kept these fish safe, even though he sometimes worried they were taking up too much space. His decision proved vital when the fish disappeared from the wild.
Bringing Them Back
- To protect the aurora trout, they were moved to about a dozen other lakes in northeastern Ontario. These new lakes acted as safe places for them.
- In the late 1980s, scientists worked to fix the original lakes. They added lime to Whitepine and Whirligig lakes. This helped to raise the water's pH level, making it less acidic and more neutral.
- After the lakes were cleaned up, aurora trout were brought back to their original homes.
- Scientists have seen that the fish are now reproducing naturally in these lakes.
- However, the pH levels in the lakes have started to drop again. This is probably because of acidic pollution still present in the surrounding land.
