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Photo by Paul Thompson
Photo Courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): GNRT4
State (S-rank): S3
External links
Species range
In Utah native only to Goose Creek and tributaries of the Raft River in the northwestern corner of the state (Sigler and Sigler 1996) (extreme northwestern Box Elder County) but current range in Utah greatly increased through extensive introductions.
Habitat
In Utah, native Yellowstone cutthroat trout primarily inhabit small, cold, high-elevation streams in the Raft River drainage in the northwestern corner of the state. These native trout require clean, fast-flowing waters, rocky bottoms, and dense riparian vegetation for cover and shade.
Food habits
Yellowstone cutthroat trout are opportunistic omnivores whose diet depends on their size and environment. they consume mostly aquatic insects and other invertebrates as juveniles, and larger prey like other fish, crustaceans, and terrestrial insects as adults.
Reproductive characteristics
Yellowstone Cutthroat trout spawn in flowing water during spring and summer. The fenale will dig a redd in the gravel where she will lay eggs,. Males fertilize the eggs before the female covers them with gravel to protect them. The eggs hatch in about a month to two months, and the fry emerge from the gravel to begin their lives in the river or may move to different areas for more resources.
Threats or limiting factors
Threats to Yellowstone cutthroat trout include non-native trout competition, which can lead to hybridization with rainbow trout and competition for food and habitat; habitat degradation from agriculture, grazing, and urbanization; population fragmentation due to barriers like stream diversions; and disease outbreaks such as whirling disease
