Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis

 
Physical Description: 
�	Pale spots on sides
�	Slightly compressed
�	Large, terminal mouth 
�	Long jaws, jaw angle way behind the eye
�	Small adipose fin
�	Dorsal fin on the middle of the body
�	Broad, forked tail fin
�	Large, breeding male develops a kype on lower jaw
�	Dorsal and tail fin with black marks or bars

Mean body size:
�	Adults are 130-250 mm standard length 

Habitat:
�	Cold, rocky headwaters over sand, silt, mud, and detritus

Distribution in VA:
�	The only salmonid native to Virginia  
�	Occurs in all Virginia headwaters - excludes the York, Chowan, and eastern drainages
�	Not found in the Big Sandy drainage - probably extirpated from there
�	May have been introduced to the Pee Dee drainage

Food Habits:  
�	Aquatic and terrestrial insects, crayfish, fish, and anything else they can catch

Reproductive Habits: 
�	Mature at age 1 or 2
�	Spawn in October and November at 3-10OC 
�	Redds built in gravel and sometimes sand
�	Fecundity is 100-5,000 eggs per female
�	Hybridizes with brown trout (tiger trout) and lake trout (splake)

Population Status, Economic, or Ecological Importance: 
�	Rainbow and brown trout compete with brook trout for space

References:       

Jenkins, R.E and N.M. Burkhead. 1993. Freshwater Fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. 

Brook Trout Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Continue Browsing Families..... Petromyzontidae, Lampreys Polyodontidae, Paddlefish Acipenseridae, Sturgeons Lepisosteidae, Gars Amiidae, Bowfins Anguillidae, Freshwater Eels Amblyopsidae, Cavefishes Ictaluridae, Catfish Percopsidae, Trout-Perches Salmonidae, Trouts Clupeidae, Herrings Esocidae, Pikes Aphredoderidae, Pirate Perches Umbridae, Mudminnows Fundulidae, Killifishes Poeciliidae, Livebearers Cyprinidae, Minnows Catostomidae, Suckers Gasterosteidae, Sticklebacks Atherinidae, Silversides Cottidae, Sculpins Sciaenidae, Drums Percidae, Perches Moronidae, Striped Basses Centrarchidae, Sunfishes