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Trout (Rainbow)

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Oncorhynchus mykiss
Trout (Rainbow)

Range

They are found in the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. In freshwater they are found throughout the norther parts of the U. S and Canada.

Habitat

They like cooler waters.

Body Traits

They are an olive-brown color with dark spotting, a lighter gray belly and a forked tail. There is a pinkish-red stripe that runs down each side. Rainbow trout that live in the sea get much larger and can reach more than 40 pounds, while freshwater rainbows rarely reach more than 30 pounds and usually are less than 10 pounds.

Habits

Many rainbow trout migrate up from the sea to spawn (anadromous).

Diet

They eat insects, crustaceans, mollusks and other fish.

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Reproduction

The female makes a shallow nest in the stream bed gravel and lay eggs. They hatch in 3 weeks.

Trout (Rainbow)

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Oncorhynchus
Species: O. mykiss

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