Brook trout
📖 Overview
Occurs in clear, cool, well-oxygenated creeks, small to medium rivers, and lakes . Nerito-pelagic . Anadromous in some populations . In its native range, general upstream movements have been observed in early spring, summer and late fall; downstream movements, in late spring and fall . Some fish, popularly known as salters, run to the sea in the spring as stream temperature rises, but never venture more than a few kilometers from river mouths. It may remain at sea for up to three months . Feeds on a wide range of organisms including worms, leeches, crustaceans, insects (chironomids, caddisflies, blackflies, mayflies, stoneflies and dragonflies , mollusks, fishes and amphibians ; also small mammals . Stomachs of some individuals contained traces of plant remains . There are reports of introduced fish reaching 15 years of age in California, USA . Cultured for food and for stocking . Extensively used as an experimental animal . Marketed fresh and smoked; eaten fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved, and baked .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 3 - 4; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 14; Anal spines: 3 - 4; Anal soft rays: 8 - 14; Vertebrae: 58 - 62. Distinguished by the combination of dark green marbling on its back and dorsal fin and by the red spots with blue halos on its sides . Pelvic fins with axillary process; caudal nearly straight or with a shallow indentation . Color varies, but generally rather green to brownish on back, marked with paler vermiculations or marbling that extend onto the dorsal fin and sometimes the caudal; sides lighter than back, marked with numerous pale spots and some red spots, each of the latter surrounded by a blue halo; anal, pelvic and pectoral fins with a white leading edge followed by a dark stripe, the rest of the fins reddish . In spawning fish the lower sides and fins become red . Sea-run fish are dark green above with silvery sides, white bellies and very pale pink spots . Caudal fin with 19 rays .: fusiform / normal.
🌀 Behaviour
Brook Trout are more aggressive than brown or rainbow trout, making them somewhat easier to catch for beginner anglers but also more vulnerable to overfishing. They are territorial and prefer to hold near cover such as undercut banks, fallen logs, and deep pools. In lakes, they roam more widely in search of prey.
🦐 Diet
Brook Trout feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects, worms, small fish, crayfish, frogs, and even small mice or shrews. They are opportunistic and will take a wide variety of dry and wet fly patterns.
🥚 Reproduction
Courtship begins with a male attempting to drive a female toward suitable spawning gravel. A receptive female chooses a spot and digs a redd. While the female is digging, the male continues courtship activity, darting alongside the female and quivering, swimming over and under her and rubbing her with his fins; most of the time however, is spent driving off other males. When the redd is completed, the pair enter the nest and deposit eggs and milt. After spawning the female covers the eggs by sweeping small pebbles at the downstream edge of the redd upstream. Once the eggs are completely covered, she moves to the upstream end of the redd and begins digging a new redd .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; anadromous ; depth range 15 - 27 m . Temperate; 0°C - 25°C ; 61°N - 34°N, 124°W - 52°W North America: native to most of eastern Canada from Newfoundland and Labrador to western side of Hudson Bay; south in Atlantic, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River basins to Minnesota and northern Georgia (Applachian Mountains), USA; headwaters of Chattahoochee River (Gulf basin).
🌿 Ecology
a wide range of organisms including worms, leeches, crustaceans, insects (chironomids, caddisflies,
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked — Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 101 kcal |
| Protein | 18.2 g |
| Total Fat | 4.3 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 922 mg |
| EPA | 190 mg |
| DHA | 340 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
🌿 Sustainability
🏆 World Records
| Record Type | Value | Angler | Location | Date | Line Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 6.57 kg | Dr. W.J. Cook | Nipigon River, Ontario, Canada | 01 Jul 1915 | All-Tackle |
Source: IGFA All-Tackle World Records database
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | American Brook Charr · American Brook Trout · Aurora Trout · Baiser · Breeder · Brook Char · Brook Charr · Brook Trout · Brook Trout, Brook Charr · Brookie · Char · Charr · Coaster · Coaster Brook Trout · Common Brook Trout · Eastern Brook Trout · Eastern Speckled Trout · Humpbacked Trout · Lord-fish · Mountain Trout · Mud Trout · Native Trout · Salter · Sea Trout · Slob · Speckled Char · Speckled Charr · Speckled Trout · Specks · Square-tail · Squaretail · Squaretail Trout · Squaretailed Trout · Trout · Whitefin |
| 🏳️Catalan | Truita de rierol |
| 🌍CES | siven americký |
| 🌍CYM | Torgochiaid Afon · torgoch afon |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Kildeorred · Kildeørred |
| 🇩🇪German | Amerikanischer bachsaibling · Bachsaibling |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | Puronieriä |
| 🇫🇷French | Omble de fontaine · Omble de fontaine (L'), Saumon de Fontaine · Omble de fontaine, Saumon de fontaine, Truite mouchetée · Omble mouchetée · Saumon de fontaine · Truite mouchetée · omble aurora |
| 🇭🇷Croatian | Potočna zlatovčica |
| 🇭🇺Hungarian | Pataki pisztráng · Pataki szajbling · pataki szaibling |
| 🌍IKU | Iqaluk |
| 🌍ISL | Lindableikja |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Salmerino di fontaine · Salmerino di fontana · Salmerino di fonte · salmerino di fontane |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | Kawamasu · カワマス |
| 🌍LAV | Avota palija |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Bronforei · Bronforel · riddervis |
| 🌍NNO | bekkerøye |
| 🌍NOB | bekkerøye |
| 🇳🇴Norwegian | Bekkeror · Bekkerøye · Bekkerøyr |
| 🇵🇱Polish | Pstrag zrodlany |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Truta da nascente · Truta das fontes · Truta-das-fontes |
| 🌍RON | Fântânel · Pastrav fântânel |
| 🇷🇺Russian | американская малоротая палия · американская палия · американский голец |
| 🌍SLK | sivoň americký |
| 🌍SME | johkarávdu · rávdu |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Salvelino · Trucha de arroyo |
| 🌍SQI | trofta e artë · trofta e artë e përrenjve · trofta e përrenjve |
| 🌍SRP | Kanadska pastrva · Potocna zlatovcica |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | Bäckröding · amerikansk bäckröding |
| 🌍TUR | Kaynak alabalygy |
| 🌍UKR | Голець арктичний · Палія американська |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 溪紅點鮭 · 美洲紅點鮭 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baione fontinalis | Mitchill | 1814 | Synonym |
| Salmo alleganiensis | Rafinesque | 1820 | Synonym |
| Salmo canadensis | Griffith & Smith | 1834 | Synonym |
| Salmo erythrogaster | DeKay | 1842 | Synonym |
| Salmo fontinalis | Mitchill | 1814 | Homotypic |
| Salmo hudsonicus | Suckley | 1861 | Synonym |
| Salmo immaculatus | Storer | 1850 | Synonym |
| Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis | Henn & Rinckenbach | 1925 | Synonym |
| Salvelinus timagamiensis | Henn & Rinckenbach | 1925 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) — 135 records indexed .
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