Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout facts for kids
The Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout is a special kind of cutthroat trout. It lives in the Snake River in places like southern Idaho and western Wyoming. This fish gets its name from the many tiny spots all over its body, which look different from other cutthroat trout. Scientists sometimes think it's its own unique kind of fish, and sometimes they think it's a close relative of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
Quick facts for kids Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Salmoniformes |
| Family: | Salmonidae |
| Genus: | Oncorhynchus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
O. c. behnkei
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| Trinomial name | |
| Oncorhynchus clarkii behnkei Montgomery, 1995
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This trout is known for having hundreds of small spots. These spots cover most of its body. This is different from the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, which has larger spots.
Scientists gave this fish its scientific name in 1995. A writer named M. R. Montgomery named it to honor Dr. Robert J. Behnke. Dr. Behnke was a scientist who studied fish. He had described this trout before it had a formal name.
Mixing Fish Species
Sometimes, the fine-spotted cutthroat trout can mix with rainbow trout. This creates a hybrid fish. These mixed fish are not seen very often in the South Fork of the Snake River. They usually come from fish hatcheries.
However, Yellowstone cutthroat trout and rainbow trout mix more often. These natural hybrids are called "cutbows." You can find them in places like the Lamar River drainage in Yellowstone Park.
What Do They Eat?
Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout have an interesting diet. They mostly eat other fish. Sometimes, they even eat small mammals! They are the only river cutthroat trout that eats other animals this way. Because of this, you won't find many whitefish in their home waters.
When lots of water insects are hatching, these trout can be picky eaters. But they are not as focused as rainbow or brown trout. You can sometimes trick them with small fake insects that look like land bugs. Also, when no insects are hatching, anglers can catch them using large flies that look like small fish.
