Rainbow trout

The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, a.k.a. Salmo iridia), also called steelhead trout, is a single species of trout native to the Pacific Ocean and in North American rivers and lakes west of the Rocky Mountains. Rainbow trout are now worldwide in distribution and are a highly prized game fish. Rainbow trout have been introduced to at least 45 countries, and every continent except Antarctica. However, in some of these locations, such as Australia, rainbow trout have had very serious negative impacts on native fish species.

Related Topics:
Trout - Pacific Ocean - North America - Rocky Mountains - Antarctica - Australia

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The naming of the rainbow trout species was based on fish taken from the San Leandro Creek drainage in Oakland, California. In 1855, Dr. W.P. Gibbons, founder of the California Academy of Sciences, was given three specimens obtained from the creek. He described and assigned them the scientific name Salmo iridia. It was later determined that Gibbons and Walbaum were referring to the same species, and the original binomial name is now used to refer to the species.

Related Topics:
San Leandro Creek - Oakland, California - W.P. Gibbons - California Academy of Sciences - Walbaum - Binomial name

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