Washington State Fish
Steelhead Trout (common name) Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus (scientific name) Overview The steelhead trout was designated the state fish of Washington in 1969. The fish get their name due to the steel blue color of their backs (although they are more commonly olive green). Like other trout, steelhead are covered in an array of small black spots, especially on the back and tailfin. Steelhead are distinguished from other rainbow trout by their pointier head and larger size. These sleek, beautiful fish are superbly strong swimmers. Steelhead trout spend the first three years of their lives in freshwater streams and then migrate to the Pacific Ocean. There they live out the rest of their lives, migrating to freshwater streams to spawn every other year or so. Males become more colorful during spawning and develop a hooked jaw and snout. Steelhead trout are one of the most popular fish for recreational fishing, which is a major industry in the Pacific Northwest. Spawning streams in the steelhead’s southern range are seriously threatened by water diversion, dams, pollution, and other habitat degradation. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Length: Up to 45 in (120 cm); average of 30 in (75 cm) Weight: Up to 55 lbs (25 kg); average of 6 lbs (2.7 kg) LIFESPAN Up to 11 years HABITAT Coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean. Juveniles and spawning steelhead require clean, cold, fast-moving freshwater. Range: The North Pacific Ocean from central California to the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. Water type: Freshwater Water temp: 50-75°F (10-24°C) Conservation Status: Secure, but threatened in California and the Pacific Northwest. DIET When young, the trout feed on insects and larvae; as they mature, they graduate to smaller fish, fish eggs, carcasses of dead salmon, mollusks, and crayfish. In the ocean, steelhead eat fish and squid. REPRODUCTION Fertilization: External Spawning frequency: Approximately every other year after reaching maturity; Steelhead enter spawning streams from August to October and spawn in early winter or spring. Mating behavior: Distinct pairing Egg laying: Spawning occurs in cold, clear, and oxygen-rich streams with gravel bottoms. The female clears out a depression (or "redd") with her tail and extrudes her eggs into it. The male follows by fertilizing the eggs with his milt, and the female then covers the eggs with a thin layer of gravel. Eggs hatch less than a month later. USES Game fish OTHER NAMES Coastal rainbow trout, steelies TRIVIA Steelhead do not die after spawning, although their migration (which can be hundreds of miles long) is very hard on them physically.
	Click to enlarge an image Illustration of Steelhead Trout Close-up of Steelhead Trout School of Steelhead Trout Steelhead Trout Migrating Up River Fish Ladder for Migrating Steelhead Trout CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Osteichthyes Order: Salmoniformes Family: Salmonidae Genus: Oncorhynchus Species: O. mykiss Subspecies: O. m. irideus
	Raw Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Author: World Trade Press