Local Fish of the Bruce Peninsula Rainbow Trout

Local Fish of the Bruce Peninsula

Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Ø Iridescent, reddish streak running from gill to caudal fin. Ø Dark spots on their backs, heads, bellies and all fins. Ø Length: 12 - 36 inches. Ø Recent studies have shown that rainbow trout DNA are closer in comparison to Pacific Salmon than to brown trout.

Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) Ø From the Ojibwe namegos meaning ‘lake trout’. Ø Other names include mackinaw, lake char, touladi, togue, and grey trout. Ø Largest of the trouts. Ø Extirpated due to invasive species (lampreys), overharvesting, and pollution.

Splake (Salvelinus namaycush X Salvelinus fontinalis) Ø Crossing of male brook trout and female lake trout Ø ‘SP’eckled trout (another name for brook trout) and ‘LAKE’ trout. Ø Length: 10 to 18 inches Ø Rare reproduction outside of a hatchery environment. Ø Easy to catch. Ø Live long.

Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus Salmonidae) Ø Genus name refers to the hooked snout. Ø 7 types of Pacific Salmon. Ø Pink, Coho, and Chinook salmon have all been introduced the Great Lakes. Ø Taking away the habitat of the already endangered Atlantic Salmon in the area.

Muskie (Muskellunge) (Esox Masquinongy) Ø Largest member of pike family. Ø Uncommon freshwater fish. Ø Elongated body, with a flat head, and dorsal fins set far back on the body. Ø Light silver, brown, and green with dark vertical stripes, breaking up into spots. Ø Muskie’s prey on pretty much anything that can fit in it’s mouth.

Channel Catfish (Siluriformes) Ø More than ½ the world’s Catfish live in Americas. Ø Catfish are vocal animals when they are captured or prodded. Ø Most catfish in the region are adapted for a benthic lifestyle (they sink).

Walleye (Sander vitreus) Ø It is NOT a walleye pike, yellow pike, or pickerel. Ø The name Walleye itself comes from the fact that the fishes eyes (like cats) reflect light. Ø Length: 75 cm (30 in) Ø Weight: 7 kg (15 lb) Ø Walleyes are olive and gold in colour. Ø Maximum recorded age was 29 years.

Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieui) Ø In the sunfish family. Ø Green with dark vertical bands along it’s body. Ø Intolerant to pollution; a good natural indicator of a healthy environment. Ø They enjoy clear, rocky habitats with little vegetation. Ø Length: 25 -50 cm (10 -20 in) Ø It may take 15 years for a Smallmouth Bass to reach 5 lb.

Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) Ø Perch have a rough (ctenoid) scales. Ø First fin on their back is spiny and the second one is smooth. Ø Yellow in colour with six to eight dark vertical bars on their sides. Ø Length: 10 - 25 cm (4 -10 in) Ø Weight: 150 g (5. 29 oz)

Sturgeon (Acipenser flavescent) ØAppears in fossil records that date back 200 million years ago. ØLength: 7 -12 feet (2 -3½ meters) in length. ØSturgeons are slow-growing and mature very late in life. Ø Extremely vulnerable to exploitation and to other threats including pollution, and habitat fragmentation. Ø Endangered or at least under special consideration (vulnerable).