Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus, all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word trout is also used as part of the name of some non-salmonid fish such as Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout or speckled trout.
Trout are closely related to salmon and char (or charr): species termed salmon and char occur in the same genera as do trout (Oncorhynchus - Pacific salmon and trout, Salmo - Atlantic salmon and various trout, Salvelinus - char and trout).
Most trout such as Lake trout live in freshwater lakes and/or rivers exclusively, while there are others such as the Rainbow trout which spend two or three years at sea before returning to freshwater to spawn, a habit more typical of salmon.
Trout are an important food source for humans and wildlife including brown bears, birds of prey such as eagles, and other animals. They are classified as an oily fish.
Read more about Trout: Species, Anatomy, Habitat, Diet, As Food, River Fishing
Famous quotes containing the word trout:
“There’s no taking trout with dry breeches.”
—Miguel De Cervantes (1547–1616)
“The heart beats thick,
Big trout muscle out of the dead cold;”
—Ted Hughes (b. 1930)
“All those girls
who wore the red shoes,
each boarded a train that would not stop.
Stations flew by like suitors and would not stop.
They all danced like trout on the hook.
They were played with.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)