Fishing Wales: Lifecycle - Fishing Visit Wales

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The Sea Trout’s life cycle

Family: SALMONIDAE
Genus: Salmo
Species: trutta

British rod caught record: 28 lb 5 oz (12.85 kg), River Test, Hampshire, 1992


Lifecycle

Range (Great Britain)

Indigenous, widespread and abundant; anadramous.

Habitat

As for brown trout except for migratory marine phase of life cycle. May spawn in main river sections in the same microhabitats as salmon. Often migrates far upstream to spawn in tiny moorland streams. May be largely female in some rivers, males remaining in freshwater, maturing as brown trout.

Biology

Eats invertebrates, particularly crustaceans, and fish. Can attain weights of 10 kg + and live for 10 + years. Parr (juveniles) may smolt at 1-5 years. Returns to natal river to spawn after one or more winters at sea. Repeat spawning common, may not spawn every year, Hybridisation with salmon can occur. Finnock (usually weighing c. 300g) return to rivers after spending only a few weeks/months at sea. These young fish may or may not attempt to breed.

Identification

The body of the sea trout is usually a silvery bluish green colour with darker back and white belly. The back and sides are sparsely spotted with dark blue or black and there are also spots on the dorsal and caudal fins and on the operculum (gill cover)

Salmon can be distinguished from large sea trout by:

  1. a more streamlined shape,
  2. concave tail,
  3. slimmer wrist,
  4. upper jaw reaching no further than the rear of the eye,
  5. few if any black spots below the lateral line,
  6. 10 to 15 (usually 11- 13) scales counted obliquely forward from adipose fin to lateral line - trout have 13 - 16