Body Features Used in Identification Atlantic Salmon Brown Trout (Salmo salar) (Salmo trutta) Adipose fin Salmon and Lake Phase Adult Lake Phase Adult Dorsal fin Caudal fin Kype Few spots Spots on No spots on upper tail Many spots Jaw hook typically on tail Forked tail fin 2-3 spots on head adipose fin on head Trout of found in males
Few to no spots below lateral line Body spots found Lake Ontario below lateral line Square tail fin Mouth extends to middle Mouth extends beyond A Visual Identification Guide Stream Phase Adult or rear edge of eye Stream Phase Adult rear edge of eye Anal fin Pectoral fin (2) No spots Spots on Few spots adipose fin on tail Forked tail fin 2-3 spots on head on upper tail Many spots on head “Tailing” Pelvic fin (2) The ability to land a fish Chinook Salmon by grabbing it by the tail while it is still in the water
Square Mouth extends to middle tail fin or rear edge of eye Mouth extends beyond Coho Salmon rear edge of eye Large kypes (jaw “hooks”) Large kypes (jaw “hooks”) Artwork by Peter Thompson on spawning males on spawning males
For additional Information: Steelhead Trout Dave MacNeill Well-developed 315-312-3042 Small vomerine (roof of vomerine (roof of mouth) teeth in a single mouth) teeth in [email protected] row zig-zag pattern
We would like to thank Charles Blaas for his valuable Atlantic Salmon review comments on this brochure. Juvenile (smolt stage) This brochure results from project M/PIU-12 funded Juvenile (parr stage) under award NA07OAR4170010 from NOAA’s Orange National Sea Grant College Program to the Research Clear adipose fin adipose fin Brown Trout Fdn of SUNY on behalf of New York Sea Grant.
By Dave MacNeill, Mary Penney, NY Sea Grant Deeply Dan Bishop, Fran Verdoliva, NYSDEC forked tail Large pectoral fin and Jim Johnson, USGS Juvenile (parr stage) Artwork by Peter Thompson
Clear adipose fin 62B Mackin Hall SUNY College at Oswego Oswego, NY 13126-3599 (315) 312-3042 NOTE: Deeply Please refer to your State or Provincial fishing guidelines for creel forked tail and size regulations on each species. Large pectoral fin All images in this publication are property of New York Sea Grant and are not to be duplicated or published without permission. Chinook Salmon Coho Salmon Steelhead/Rainbow Trout Pink Salmon Very rarely encountered (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) (Oncorhynchus kisutch) (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) Lake Phase Adult Lake Phase Adult Lake Phase Adult Lake Phase Adult Inside of mouth is Fully spotted, square tail with Fully spotted Inside of mouth Few spots on black, with white Top of head spotted Forked Large body spots with tail and gums are black upper tail or gray gums spots in radiating rows tail dark tail spots
LENGTH
Light mouth
DEPTH Anal fin shorter interior Small body size Anal fin shorter than deep Anal fin longer than deep than deep Can be “tailed” More difficult to “tail” Difficult to “tail” Stream Phase Adult Stream Phase Adult Stream Phase Adult Stream Phase Adult Inside of mouth is Large back Smaller hump Humps may Inside of mouth Few spots on black, with white Fully spotted, square tail with hump (male) (female) be absent in Fully spotted spots in radiating rows Top of head spotted tail and gums are black upper tail or gray gums lake phase
Kype Light mouth Anal fin shorter Anal fin shorter interior than deep than deep Spawning fish reddish to pink stripe Anal fin longer than deep (along lateral line below eye to tail)
Large kypes (jaw “hooks”) Stream Phase Adult Inside of mouth is Large kypes (jaw “hooks”) Lake Trout on spawning males Few spots on black, with white on spawning males upper tail or gray gums (Salvelinus namaycush)
Forked Light spots on No orange, pink Very small Spawning tail dark background or red spots scales fish reddish to pink stripe
Anal fin shorter Kype - upper jaw than deep becomes hooked Juvenile (parr stage) Juvenile (smolt stage) Juvenile (smolt stage) Tail fin Olive tint Black rimmed No black or white White edge of anal fin stripes on belly Easily spotting Adipose fin adipose fin “tailed” same as with a few spots adults Smaller eyes Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) Square Body fully spotted Pink/red spots with blue Juvenile (parr stage) Juvenile (parr stage) tail halos on dark background Very silvery Anal fin same as Large parr Long adipose fin with Big eyes adult fish marks body color black tip on edge Black rimmed adipose fin
NOTE: Black and white Fish coloration varies greatly and live fish may not look exactly as shown The New York State Fish belly stripes in the brochure. Anal fin white/ Few parr Typically found in headwaters of streams black leading edge marks and tributaries; sometimes caught in the lake