Home · Salmonidae · Clark's trout
Clark's trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) — Salmonidae

Clark's trout

Oncorhynchus clarkii
Family: Salmonidae

The Clark's trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Salmonidae that grows up to 99 cm.

Length
99 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Depth
0.0–200.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The cutthroat trout is a salmonid (family Salmonidae) of western North America. The species can grow to about a metre but usually stays much smaller, and has a streamlined, greenish to golden body with numerous dark spots and a characteristic red to orange slash under the lower jaw, which gives it its name. It prefers small streams with gravel bottoms and gentle gradients; some populations migrate from the sea into rivers to spawn, while young fish stay in the stream for a year or two. Its diet consists of insects, crustaceans and small fishes. It is a prized sport and food fish.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Clark's trout?

The Clark's trout has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly green and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Clark's trout live?

The Clark's trout lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Clark's trout get?

The Clark's trout grows to a maximum of about 99 cm.

Is the Clark's trout dangerous to humans?

No, the Clark's trout is harmless to humans.

Is the Clark's trout edible?

Yes, the Clark's trout is commonly eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Cutthroatforel sourced
English name
Clark's trout verified
Scientific name
Oncorhynchus clarkii
Family
Salmonidae
Other names
Coast cutthroat trout; Coastal cutthroat; Coastal cutthroat trout; Colorado River Cutthroat; Colorado River cutthroat trout verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
99.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Green inferred
Pattern
Spots inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
200.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
levensduur_max_jaar
11.0 verified

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Vliegvissen en werpen met kunstaas of natuurlijk aas in beken en meren; gewilde sportvis. sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Oncorhynchus

More from the family Salmonidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →