Sevan trout facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sevan trout |
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The Sevan trout (Salmo ischchan) is a special type of fish found only in Lake Sevan in Armenia. People in Armenia call it ishkhan (pronounced "ish-khan"). This fish is a relative of the brown trout and belongs to the salmonid family, which includes salmon and other trout.
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About the Sevan Trout
The Sevan trout is a unique fish because it is endemic to Lake Sevan. This means it naturally lives nowhere else in the world. Sadly, this beautiful fish is now endangered.
Why is it Endangered?
The Sevan trout became endangered for a few reasons. During the time of the Soviet Union, other fish were brought into Lake Sevan. These included the common whitefish from Lake Ladoga and goldfish. Also, narrow-clawed crayfish were introduced. These new species competed with the Sevan trout for food and space.
Another big problem was changes in the lake's water level. This made it hard for the trout to lay their eggs and for young fish to grow.
Helping the Sevan Trout Survive
Even though the Sevan trout is endangered in its home lake, it has been successfully moved to Issyk Kul lake in Kyrgyzstan. This helps ensure the species continues to exist.
In 1976, Armenia's government made a rule to stop people from fishing for Sevan trout to sell. They also created Sevan National Park. This park helps protect the lake and its wildlife, including the trout. Today, Sevan trout are also raised in special places called hatcheries. These hatcheries help grow young fish to release into the lake.
Different Kinds of Sevan Trout
The Sevan trout actually has four different types, or "strains." They are all the same species but have different habits. They breed at different times and in different places. They also grow at different speeds.
- winter bakhtak (Salmo ischchan ischchan)
- summer bakhtak (Salmo ischchan aestivalis)
- gegharkuni (Salmo ischchan gegarkuni)
- bojak (Salmo ischchan danilewskii)
Winter Bakhtak
The winter bakhtak is the largest type of Sevan trout. It can grow very big, sometimes up to 90 centimeters (about 3 feet) long and weigh 15 kilograms (about 33 pounds). This type of trout usually lays its eggs within the lake itself.
Summer Bakhtak
The summer bakhtak is smaller than the winter bakhtak, usually less than 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) long. It naturally lays its eggs in rivers and near where rivers flow into the lake.
Gegharkuni
The gegharkuni is a type of trout that travels between the lake and rivers. It naturally lays its eggs only in rivers. This trout eats tiny plants and animals floating in the water, called plankton, as well as creatures living on the lake bottom, called benthos.
Bojak
The bojak is the smallest type of Sevan trout. It is a "dwarfed" form, meaning it stays small. It doesn't grow longer than 33 centimeters (about 13 inches) and weighs only about 0.25 kilograms (half a pound). The bojak lays its eggs in the lake during the winter.
Reproduction and Survival
Changes in the lake's water level have been very harmful to the Sevan trout's ability to reproduce. Because of this, the summer bakhtak and gegharkuni types are mostly raised in hatcheries now. Sadly, the winter bakhtak and bojak types might no longer exist in the lake.
Scientists have studied old samples of Sevan trout. They found that these four types are very similar in their genetic makeup. The Sevan trout as a whole is very closely related to the Caspian trout. Both are part of the larger brown trout family.
