57-418: The splake or slake ( Salvelinus namaycush × Salvelinus fontinalis ) is a hybrid of two fish species resulting from the crossing of a male brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) and a female lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ). The name itself is a portmanteau of speckled trout (another name for brook trout) and lake trout, and may have been used to describe such hybrids as early as the 1880s. Hybrids of
114-409: A dark green to brown color, with a distinctive marbled pattern (called vermiculation ) of lighter shades across the flanks and back and extending at least to the dorsal fin , and often to the tail. A distinctive sprinkling of red dots, surrounded by blue halos, occurs along the flanks. The belly and lower fins are reddish in color, the latter with white leading edges. Often, the belly, particularly of
171-460: A famous monograph on New England chars in 1914, in turn concluded that the silver trout was related to the Arctic char ( Salvelinus alpinus ). Re-examining the 13 silver trout specimens in the U.S. National Museum by matching the markings on the dorsal fin and tail, the numbers of vertebrae, and the array of pelvic fin rays and between different species, Robert J. Behnke concluded that the silver trout
228-680: A few waters in New Hampshire in the United States prior to 1939, when a biological survey conducted on the Connecticut watershed by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department found none. The silver trout was often a foot long and was said to actually be olive green in color. In the lakes silver trout inhabited, large quantities of the species appeared in October to spawn. To formally describe
285-617: A great many established wild, self-sustaining populations of brook trout in non-native waters. The brook trout inhabits large and small lakes , rivers , streams , creeks, and spring ponds in cold temperate climates with mild precipitation . Clear spring water with adequate cover and moderate flow rates is indicative of strong habitability for Brook trout. They exhibit high levels of adaptability when exposed to habitat changes from environmental effects, and have been observed to exhibit more resilience to habitat change than other Salvelinus species. The typical pH range of brook trout waters
342-473: A more silvery color, losing much of the distinctive markings seen in freshwater. However, within two weeks of returning to freshwater, they assume typical brook trout color and markings. Salters have faced threats such as habitat destruction , water pollution , and water way damming that have led to their declining population numbers across the Northeastern United States . The brook trout has
399-424: A short-lived form of brook trout that inhabit smaller bodies of water and exhibit less predacious behavior than coasters. They may spend up to three months at sea feeding on crustaceans, fish, and marine worms in the spring. During this time they won't stray more than a few miles from the river mouth, but then return to freshwater tributaries to spawn in the late summer or autumn. While in saltwater, salters gain
456-417: A significant factor in the disappearance of brook trout from their native habitats. In the U.S., acid rain caused by air pollution has resulted in pH levels too low to sustain brook trout in all but the highest headwaters of some Appalachian streams and creeks. Brook trout populations across large parts of eastern Canada have been similarly challenged; a subspecies known as the aurora trout was extirpated from
513-575: A species not native to North America, has replaced the brook trout in much of the brook trout's native water. If already stressed by overharvesting or by temperature, brook trout populations are very susceptible to damage by the introduction of exogenous species. Many lacustrine populations of brook trout have been extirpated by the introduction of other species, particularly percids , but sometimes other spiny-rayed fishes . In addition to chemical pollution and algae growth caused by runoff containing chemicals and fertilizers, air pollution has also been
570-894: A threat to native brook trout populations. Arguments against artificial propagation of brook trout claim that it can cause a degradation of the overall genetic pool due to the possibility of inbreeding among individuals. This lack of genetic variation could lead to certain populations of brook trout to become extirpated from their deficiency in adaptability . As early as the late 19th century, native brook trout in North America became extirpated from many watercourses as land development, forest clear-cutting , and industrialization took hold. Streams and creeks that were polluted, dammed, or silted up often became too warm to hold native brook trout, and were colonized by transplanted smallmouth bass and perch or other introduced salmonids such as brown and rainbow trout . The brown trout ,
627-555: A variety of coldwater lakes and ponds. The maximum size is about 9 kg (20 lb ), but fish over 4 kg (9 lb) are rare and are considered trophies. An example would be in Ontario, where both F1 splake and the lake trout backcross have been planted for several years. The backcross is the result of an F1 splake male being crossed with a female lake trout ( i.e. , 75% lake trout and 25% brook trout). Although splake were first described in 1880, Ontario began experimenting with
SECTION 10
#1732875943585684-436: A very large glacial lake that persisted for 4,000 years where the silver trout probably evolved from brook trout. In the deep waters of these lakes, cut off from other species, the silver trout had no natural predators. By the late 19th century, as each lake developed its own steady summer tourism, recreational fishermen who sought to increase their catches began to introduce new fish species, and these eventually overwhelmed
741-438: A younger age and, hence, are more tolerant of competitors than are brook trout. In the second case, relatively small lake trout lakes that experienced poor recruitment due to insufficient deep-water juvenile lake trout habitat will support fairly good splake fisheries, since splake are less dependent on extreme deep water than are the lake trout and they grow more quickly, providing a better return to anglers. In both cases, due to
798-530: Is 5.0 to 7.5, with pH extremes of 3.5 to 9.8 possible. Water temperatures typically range from 34 to 72 °F (1 to 22 °C). Warm summer temperatures and low flow rates are stressful on brook trout populations—especially larger fish. Brook trout have a diverse diet that includes larval , pupal , adult forms of aquatic insects (typically caddisflies , stoneflies , mayflies , and aquatic dipterans ), adult forms of terrestrial insects (typically ants , beetles , grasshoppers , and crickets ) that fall into
855-535: Is a subspecies native to two lakes in the Temagami District of Ontario , Canada. The silver trout ( S. agassizii or S. f. agassizii ) is an extinct trout species or subspecies last seen in Dublin Pond , New Hampshire , in 1930. It is considered by fisheries biologist Robert J. Behnke as a highly specialized form of brook trout. The brook trout produces hybrids both with its congeners
912-424: Is also known as the eastern brook trout , speckled trout , brook char (or charr ), squaretail , brookie , or mud trout , among others. Adult coaster brook trout are capable of reaching sizes over 2 feet in length and weigh up to 6.8 kg (15 lb), whereas adult salters average between 6 and 15 inches in length and weigh between 0.5 and 2.3 kg (1 and 5 lb). The brook trout
969-800: Is an intrageneric hybrid between the brook trout and the Arctic char. The US Forest Service has recognized two ecological forms of brook trout, salters and coasters . The forms express the same general features but vary in size, behavior, and location. A potamodromous population of brook trout native to lacustrine regions, which migrate into tributary rivers to spawn , are called "coasters". Coasters tend to be larger than most other populations of brook trout, often reaching 6 to 7 lb (2.7 to 3.2 kg) in size. They also commonly live for longer periods of time and exhibit more predacious behavior than their counterparts. Many coaster populations have been severely reduced by overfishing and habitat loss by
1026-661: Is behaviorally problematic and very little natural reproduction occurs. Splake grow more quickly than brook trout, become piscivorous sooner, and are more tolerant of competitors than brook trout. The tiger trout is an intergeneric hybrid between the brook trout and the brown trout. Tiger trout rarely occur naturally but are sometimes artificially propagated . Such crosses are almost always reproductively sterile . They are popular with many fish-stocking programs because they can grow quickly, and may help keep coarse fish (wild non "sport" fish) populations in check due to their highly piscivorous (fish-eating) nature. The sparctic char
1083-580: Is behaviourally problematic—very few natural progeny are produced by introduced splake populations. After some experimentation in the late 1970s, stocking in the Great Lakes and, especially, in Georgian Bay, was converted entirely to the so-called lake trout backcross in the early 1980s. Although the backcross program did succeed in creating some localised angling opportunities, it never achieved any degree of success in terms of natural reproduction—the backcross
1140-508: Is characterized by its distinctive olive-green body with yellow and blue-rimmed red spots, white and black edged orange fins , and dorsal vermiculation . The diet of the brook trout is restrictive to the season and location of the fish, but will typically consist of terrestrial and aquatic insects , fry , crustaceans , zooplankton , and worms . Throughout history, non-native brook trout have been transplanted beyond its native borders, where it has spread across North America and much of
1197-585: Is extremely rare, for behavioural reasons, outside the hatchery environment. The only known natural reproduction has occurred in five lakes in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario , Canada and, in each case, only a handful of progeny were produced. Because splake typically do not reproduce, they are used as a sport fish in many lakes across the US. Fishery managers are able to control populations numbers due to
SECTION 20
#17328759435851254-479: Is filtered and reused). The fish are typically fed a pelleted food consisting of 40–50% protein and 15% fat made from fish oil , animal protein, plant protein and vitamins and minerals. Finally, once the fish have reached a viable size, around 2 inches in length, they are released into the wild. This means of brook trout aquaculture has sparked controversy due to potential decrease in the fishes fitness, adaptability, and environmental resilience, effectively posing
1311-707: The Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and northwest South Carolina , Canada from the Hudson Bay basin east, the Great Lakes – Saint Lawrence system, the Canadian maritime provinces , and the upper Mississippi River drainage as far west as eastern Iowa . Their southern historic native range has been drastically reduced, with fish being restricted to higher-elevation, remote streams due to habitat loss and introductions of brown and rainbow trout. As early as 1850,
1368-469: The Lamar River watershed, a mandatory kill regulation for any brook trout caught is in effect. In Europe, introduced brook trout, once established, have had negative impacts on growth rates of native brown trout ( S. trutta ). Salvelinus fontinalis agassizii Salvelinus fontinalis agassizii The silver trout ( Salvelinus agassizii ) is an extinct char species or subspecies that inhabited
1425-595: The United States and Canada . Two ecological forms of brook trout have been recognized by the US Forest Service . One ecological form is short-lived potamodromous populations in Lake Superior known as coaster trout or coasters . The second ecological form is the long-living predaceous anadromous populations which are found in northern lakes and coastal rivers from Long Island to Hudson Bay , which are referred to as salters . In parts of its range, it
1482-617: The aurora trout , are listed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada . The scientific name of the brook trout is Salvelinus fontinalis . Initially, the brook trout was scientifically described as Salmo fontinalis by the naturalist Samuel Latham Mitchill in 1814. The species was later moved to the char genus Salvelinus , which in North America also includes
1539-446: The lake trout (S. namaycush ) and the Arctic char ( S. alpinus ), and intergeneric hybrids with the brown trout ( Salmo trutta ). The splake is an intrageneric hybrid between the brook trout and lake trout ( S. namaycush ). Although uncommon in nature, they are artificially propagated in substantial numbers for stocking into brook trout or lake trout habitats. Although they are fertile , back-crossing in nature
1596-452: The lake trout , bull trout , Dolly Varden , and the Arctic char . The specific epithet " fontinalis " comes from the Latin for "of a spring or fountain", in reference to the clear, cold streams and ponds in its native habitat. There is little recognized systematic substructure in the brook trout, but the two subspecies have been proposed. The aurora trout ( S. f. timagamiensis )
1653-553: The list of the top 100 globally invasive species . Since the 19th century, isolated native eastern brook trout populations have faced extirpation due to stream pollution , habitat destruction , invasive species , and waterway damming . Although facing these pressures, the brook trout is not listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature , but native population decline has been observed. Some local subspecies of brook trout, such as
1710-442: The accepted formula for calculating weight by measurements, and it currently stands as the record brook trout for Manitoba . Since the 1800s, brook trout populations have been grown by artificial propagation and aquaculture . Artificial propagation in fish is the process by which eggs are inseminated , hatched, and grown in a controlled environment that minimizes unfavorable environmental pressures. The fish are then released into
1767-627: The age of 4. The brook trout is a popular game fish with anglers , particularly fly fishermen . Until it was displaced by introduced brown trout (1883) and rainbow trout (1875), the brook trout attracted the most attention of anglers from colonial times through the first 100 years of U.S. history. Sporting writers such as Genio Scott Fishing in American Waters (1869), Thaddeus Norris American Anglers Book (1864), Robert Barnwell Roosevelt Game Fish of North America (1864) and Charles Hallock The Fishing Tourist (1873) produced guides to
Splake - Misplaced Pages Continue
1824-419: The behavioural sterility of splake, the fisheries are entirely dependent on artificial propagation. Brook trout † S. f. agassizii (Garman, 1885) S. f. timagamiensis Henn & Rinckenbach, 1925 The brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus Salvelinus of the salmon family Salmonidae native to Eastern North America in
1881-666: The best-known brook trout waters in America. As brook trout populations declined in the mid-19th century near urban areas, anglers flocked to the Adirondacks in upstate New York and the Rangeley lakes region in Maine to pursue brook trout. In July 1916 on the Nipigon River in northern Ontario, an Ontario physician, John W. Cook, caught a 14.5 lb (6.6 kg) brook trout, which stands as
1938-735: The brook trout's range started to extend west from its native range through introductions . The brook trout was eventually introduced into suitable habitats throughout the western U.S. during the late 19th and early 20th centuries at the behest of the American Acclimatization Society and by private, state, and federal fisheries authorities. Acclimatization movements in Europe, South America, and Oceania resulted in brook trout introductions throughout Europe, in Argentina , and New Zealand . Although not all introductions were successful,
1995-501: The construction of hydroelectric power dams on Lake Superior tributaries. In Ontario , Michigan , and Minnesota efforts are underway to restore and recover coaster populations. When Europeans first settled in Eastern North America , semi- anadromous or sea-run brook trout, commonly called "salters", ranged from southern New Jersey , north throughout the Canadian maritime provinces , and west to Hudson Bay . Salters are
2052-419: The deposition of up to 5,000 eggs in gravel beds by the female brook trout, the eggs enter an incubation period from the winter months to early spring. During this incubation period , the eggs source oxygen from the stream that passes through the gravel beds and into their gel-like shells . The eggs will then successively hatch into miniature fry that rely upon their yolk sac for nutrients to compensate for
2109-407: The eggs as the female expresses them. Most spawning involve peripheral males, which directly influences the number of eggs that survive into adulthood. In general, the larger the number of peripheral males present, the more likely the eggs will be cannibalized. The eggs are slightly denser than water. The female then buries the eggs in a small gravel mound where they hatch in 4 to 6 weeks. Following
2166-399: The eggs have begun to hatch, the fry are transported into rearing tanks where they will grow and develop before their release into the wild. Their rearing tanks typically consist of large circular tanks with a constant water flow going through them to allow a current to circulate through the tank and keep it clean (some more elaborate systems operate on a re-circulation system where the water
2223-672: The extremely poor spawning success rate. The fish possesses characteristics of both parent species. Splake exhibit higher growth rates than either parent species and can attain 46 cm (18 in) in length only two years after being planted as fingerlings ( i.e. , at 2½ years of age). By way of contrast, lacustrine brook trout would approach 25 cm (10 in) in length at a similar age and similarly aged lake trout would be expected to be less than 40 cm (16 in) long. Splake are considered "easier to catch " than other salmonids and often live longer and fare better in certain situations. Hence, splake are well suited for stocking in
2280-490: The hybrids in the 1960s in an effort to replace collapsed lake trout stocks in the Great Lakes . Due to mediocre results, the experiment never really progressed beyond Georgian Bay . The theory was that splake would grow more quickly and mature sooner than lake trout with the hope that they would be able to reproduce before being attacked by the invasive sea lamprey . Unfortunately, although splake are relatively unusual among hybrids in that they are fertile, fertility in nature
2337-464: The lack of nutrients provided by the parental trout during the early stages of development. In the ensuing stage of their life cycle, the fry will seek cover from predatory species in rock crevices and inlets. During this period of hiding, the trout will begin to mature into fingerlings by summer and start expressing parr marks to aid in camouflage. At this point, most brook trout will be between 2 and 3 inches in length. Finally, in succeeding months,
Splake - Misplaced Pages Continue
2394-409: The male lake trout with the female brook trout (the so-called "brookinaw") have also been produced, but are not as successful. The intrageneric hybrid is of the genus Salvelinus and, hence, is most properly known as a char or charr . In some locales, the fish is referred to as the wendigo . Although the hybrid is genetically stable and is, theoretically, capable of reproducing, splake reproduction
2451-494: The males, becomes very red or orange when the fish are spawning. Typical lengths of the brook trout vary from 25 to 65 cm (9.8 to 25.6 in), and weights from 0.3 to 3 kg (0.66 to 6.61 lb). The maximum recorded length is 86 cm (34 in) and maximum weight 6.6 kg (15 lb). Brook trout can reach at least seven years of age, with reports of 15-year-old specimens observed in California habitats to which
2508-446: The native silver trout. Yellow perch , which eat trout eggs , and lake trout, which hold the same ecological niche, as well as eat and hybridize with other char species, were particularly devastating. Other species were also introduced that have proved to be devastating to native trout species in other waters, the rainbow trout , brown trout , Atlantic salmon , and rainbow smelt . The last six specimens were collected in 1930. While
2565-624: The northern Rocky Mountains, non-native brook trout are considered a significant contributor to the decline or extirpation of native cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarki ) in headwater streams. Invasive brook trout populations may provoke territorial competition with the native cutthroat trout that can impede the recovery efforts of cutthroat trout by environmental agencies. Non-native brook trout populations have been subject to eradication programs in efforts to preserve native species. In Yellowstone National Park , anglers may take an unlimited number of non-native brook trout in some watersheds. In
2622-411: The species and prevent local fishermen from overharvesting in the absence of bag limits, specimens were sent to Harvard and the U.S. National Museum for identification, where the fish was first described as a form of lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ), and later as a variety of brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ). The silver trout was described as Salmo agassizii in 1885. W.C.Kendall, who published
2679-492: The species has been introduced. Growth rates are dependent on season, age, water and ambient air temperatures, and flow rates . In general, flow rates affect the rate of change in the relationship between temperature and growth rate. For example, in spring, growth increased with temperature at a faster rate with high flow rates than with low flow rates. Brook trout are native to a wide area of Eastern North America , but are increasingly confined to higher elevations southward in
2736-448: The temperature of the adult trout's propagation tank to mimic the seasonal changes associated with brook trout spawning season . The acclimated trout are then collected, and the eggs are gently massaged out of the female trout into a collection vessel, and then inseminated with the milt of a male brook. Next, the inseminated eggs are strained of the milt and transferred to a jar for several weeks to develop into viable embryos . Once
2793-401: The trout will fully mature into a trout that is approximately between 10 and 34 inches long and capable of spawning in the fall months. These fully developed adult brook trout will express a vibrant olive-green back, cherry red underbelly, black accented fins, and wavy dorsal patterns. A typical adult brook trout will live to the age of 3 to 4 years old, with occasional brooks living to over
2850-401: The water, crustaceans , frogs and other amphibians , molluscs , smaller fish, invertebrates, and even small aquatic mammals such as voles and sometimes other young brook trout. The female constructs a depression in a location in the stream bed , sometimes referred to as a "redd", where groundwater percolates upward through the gravel. One or more males approach the female, fertilizing
2907-722: The wild by the effects of acid rain. Organizations such as Trout Unlimited and Trout Unlimited Canada are partnering with other organizations such as the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout Foundation, the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, and state, provincial, and federal agencies to undertake projects that restore native brook trout habitat and populations. Although brook trout populations are under stress in their native range, they are considered an invasive species where they have been introduced outside their historic native range. In
SECTION 50
#17328759435852964-457: The wild when they have reached the appropriate age and size. This process was introduced as a way to counteract the effects of overfishing and aquatic habitat loss and to reinforce brook trout populations across the Northeastern United States . Hatchery rearing was also introduced to raise brook trout in large numbers for food production and sale for human consumption. The process of artificial propagation in brook trout begins by decreasing
3021-456: The world record. Today, many anglers practice catch-and-release tactics to preserve remaining populations. Organizations such as Trout Unlimited have been at the forefront of efforts to institute air and water quality standards sufficient to protect the brook trout. Revenues derived from the sale of fishing licenses have been used to restore many sections of creeks and streams to brook trout habitat. The current world angling record brook trout
3078-429: The world. These brook trout have been introduced since the 1800s by means of artificial propagation and aquaculture in hope of promoting fishery resources. Through this transplantation, brook trout have been observed to affect native populations by outcompeting, preying upon, and hybridizing with many native aquatic species. This invasive nature via human-mediated introductory has led to their classification in
3135-611: Was caught by Dr. W. J. Cook on the Nipigon River, Ontario, in July 1915. The 31 in (79 cm) trout weighed only 14.5 lb (6.6 kg) because, at the time of weighing, it was badly decomposed after 21 days in the bush without refrigeration. A 29 in (74 cm) brook trout, caught in October 2006 in Manitoba, is not eligible for record status since it was released alive. This trout weighed about 15.98 lb (7.25 kg) based on
3192-649: Was most closely related to the brook trout, while the divergence was still concluded to be enough to place it outside of typical S. fontinalis . Behnke concluded the silver trout evolved from brook trout ancestors in New England lakes with deep, cold, clear, well-oxygenated depths as a planctivorous fish. The silver trout was an exceedingly rare fish, having become trapped by changed drainage systems in two New Hampshire lakes ( Dublin/Monadnock Pond and Christine Lake in Stark ) that were left as successors of Lake Hitchcock ,
3249-559: Was only marginally better at reproducing than was the F1 splake. The F1 splake has proved to be a success, however, in providing angling opportunities in smaller lakes and most of the planting of splake in Ontario now goes to those situations. In the first of two cases, former brook trout waters which have become infested with spiny-rayed fish to the point where they no longer produce brook trout are stocked with splake. The splake grow more quickly than do wild-strain brook trout and become piscivorous at
#584415