Rainbow Trout

Distribution: Native to the Pacific Coast of North America

Size Length: up to 120 cm

Weight: up to 24 Kg

Lifespan: 6‒8 years

Diet: Carnivorous

Social life: Solitary

IUCN red list status: No status



This bony fish belongs to the salmon family and are known to migrate between the ocean (where they usually live as adults) and lakes or freshwater rivers (to spawn). Rainbow trout has an elongated body with coloring and patterns that vary widely with sex, age and habitat. The undersides are silver with a red stripe along the middle part of the body and small black spots on their back and fins.

It is a predator that eats insects, crustaceans and small fish. Normally they feed at the bottom but occasionally they come to the surface to catch butterflies for instance. Fishermen take advantage of this behavior and use fake flies as bate to fish rainbow trouts.

This species has been introduced throughout the world so it is easy to find rainbow trouts in different places from where it is native. Because of that its population is healthy and has no special IUCN status or protection.