Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a saltwater, freshwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 15–27 m.
Scientific name: Salvelinus fontinalis · Water: Saltwater, Freshwater, Brackish
Size: up to 86 cm
The brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a freshwater char of the salmon family, native to eastern North America in the United States and Canada and first described in 1814 as Salmo fontinalis, with the epithet fontinalis meaning "of a spring or fountain" in reference to the clear, cold streams and ponds it inhabits. Two ecological forms are recognised: long-lived potamodromous coaster trout of Lake Superior, capable of exceeding two feet and 6.8 kg, and short-lived anadromous salters of northern lakes and coastal rivers from Long Island to Hudson Bay, which average 6–15 inches and 0.5–2.3 kg. It is an unmistakable fish, with an olive-green body, yellow and blue-rimmed red spots, black and white edged orange fins and dorsal vermiculation, and its diet shifts with season and location between aquatic and terrestrial insects, fry, crustaceans, zooplankton and worms. Although non-native brook trout were transplanted worldwide from the 1800s onwards and the species is listed among the top 100 globally invasive species, native eastern populations have declined through pollution, habitat destruction, damming and introduced species; American anglers fish for it in small cold streams and lakes with flies, spinners and bait, and it is known regionally as the eastern brook trout, speckled trout, brook char, squaretail, brookie or mud trout. No specific fishing season is documented in the sources used here.
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