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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing trout. These fish are closely related to salmon and are part of the salmon-like fish family. There isn’t one distinct group of animals collectively known as “the” trout and different species may be known under multiple common names. For example, the lake trout is also known as the lake char, char being another trout relative. Plus, there are some species with the common name “trout” that aren’t part of the salmon-like fish family such as the sand trout and the spotted sea trout. This video will focus specifically on the trout that are closely related to salmon.

Trout are mostly freshwater fish but some species spend their lives in the ocean and migrate up rivers to spawn. When fish do this, they’re called anadromous. Trout prefer cold, clear water systems and live in rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and more. They’re native to the Northern Hemisphere, but their use by humans as a food source has led to their introduction throughout the world. Some individuals of anadromous species may live their entire lives in freshwater instead of leaving to marine water. Instead of traveling to the ocean, they may travel to large lakes. These individuals may not reach the same size as those of the same species that travel to marine waters. There are dozens of living trout species, but generally speaking these fish reach between one and two feet (30.5-61cm) in length and up to 30 pounds (13.6kg) in weight!

Trout are carnivorous. When they’re young, they eat smaller meals like crustaceans and insects. As they get older, they mostly consume other, smaller fish! In turn, trout are eaten by herons, eagles, bears, and other fish including other trout! Something amazing about trout is that they return to the same place they were born when they’re ready to breed, much like sea turtles! Even the ones that swim hundreds of miles to the ocean end up returning upstream to the place they hatched. Unfortunately, human activities can be a hindrance as dams may block the trouts’ way back home. Apart from habitat interference, humans also eat trout and in some areas they have been overfished to the point of near extinction.

Trout lay large eggs in a gravel nest. A female will remain in her nest and, when she’s ready to lay, many males swarm her. There are typically fewer than 5,000 eggs per nest and the female gently covers them with more gravel while they incubate. It takes anywhere from one to five months for the eggs to hatch and the babies are on their own from birth. They leave for deeper waters within their first year of life or remain in their spawning grounds for a few years before making their way downstream. Some spend a few months and return right away but others live in the sea for a few years before returning. It’s a battle to return. Like an octopus, many trout die shortly after breeding. Some, however, do make it and complete the cycle again the following year. Each year, however, the journey becomes more and more dangerous. Those that do this migration may only live to be five years old on average, though other species that spend their lives in a single location, like lake trout, can live to be more than twenty years old!

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