Gillaroo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gillaroo |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Salmo
|
| Species: |
stomachicus
|
 |
|
| Endemic to Lough Melvin | |
The Gillaroo (scientific name: Salmo stomachicus) is a special type of trout. It mainly eats snails and is mostly found in Lough Melvin, a lake in Ireland.
The name "Gillaroo" comes from the Irish words giolla rua, which means "red fellow". This name fits the fish well because of its unique colors. The Gillaroo has bright, golden-yellow sides with clear crimson and vermilion (red-orange) spots.
Contents
What Makes the Gillaroo Special?
The Gillaroo is known for its deep red spots and a special stomach part called a "gizzard". This gizzard helps the fish digest hard foods like water snails. It's like a built-in grinder!
Unique Genes and Diet
Scientists from Queen's University Belfast did studies that showed the Gillaroo in Lough Melvin is different from other brown trout around the world. They have unique genes that aren't found in other trout.
Gillaroo fish mostly eat animals that live on the bottom of the lake, like snails, sedge fly larvae, and freshwater prawns. However, in late summer, they come to the surface to feed. This is when people can sometimes catch them using dry flies.
Where Do They Live?
The Gillaroo is mainly found in Lough Melvin. While some people think they might also live in other Irish lakes like Neagh, Conn, Mask, and Corrib, the special gene of the Lough Melvin Gillaroo has not been found in other trout groups in Ireland or Britain.
Because of its unique features and genes, the Gillaroo is now recognized as its own species, Salmo stomachicus. Before, it was thought to be just a type of brown trout (Salmo trutta). Lough Melvin is also home to two other special types of trout, as well as salmon and a unique kind of char fish.
Even though scientists say the Gillaroo is a separate species, authorities in Ireland sometimes still group it with brown trout.
The Legend of the Gillaroo
There's a fun legend about how the Gillaroo got its gizzard. The story says that Saint Brigid was walking through Garrison, County Fermanagh. Someone offered her chicken to eat on a Friday. For people of the Catholic faith, chicken was not allowed on Fridays. Saint Brigid was so upset that she threw the chicken into the river. The legend says the chicken then turned into a fish, and that's how the Gillaroo got its gizzard!
