Aurora trout: Difference between revisions
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The largest recorded catch of the Aurora trout was made by Geoff Bernardo in September of 1993. It weighed 1.7kg and was taken out of Carol Lake in Northern Ontario.<ref name=Coad>{{cite book|last=Coad|first=Brian W.|title=Encyclopedia of Canadian fishes|year=1995|publisher=Canadian museum of nature and canadian sportfishing production Inc|location=Singapore|isbn=0-9692391-7-3|pages=72-74}}</ref> |
The largest recorded catch of the Aurora trout was made by Geoff Bernardo in September of 1993. It weighed 1.7kg and was taken out of Carol Lake in Northern Ontario.<ref name=Coad>{{cite book|last=Coad|first=Brian W.|title=Encyclopedia of Canadian fishes|year=1995|publisher=Canadian museum of nature and canadian sportfishing production Inc|location=Singapore|isbn=0-9692391-7-3|pages=72-74}}</ref> |
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==History== |
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The '''aurora trout''', ''Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis'', is a variant or [[subspecies]] of the [[brook trout]] native to two lakes in the [[Temagami]] District of [[Ontario]], Canada. The existence of the fish was brought to the attention of the angling world by four American anglers who were taken by Archie King of [[Latchford, Ontario]] [[Canada]] into [[Ontario]]'s [[Lady Evelyn River]] System in 1923. Recognising the fish as different or unique, the anglers took a specimen back to the [[Carnegie Museum of Natural History|Carnegie Museum]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]] in the [[United States]], where Dr. [[Arthur W. Henn]] was asked to identify the fish. He wrote about the fish in 1925 wherein he and Rinckenbach identified it as a distinct species, ''Salvelinus timagamiensis'' but, since a seminal re-examination of the material by Sale in 1967, [[Taxonomy|taxonomists]] now agree the fish is, in a fact, at most a subspecies of the brook trout, named ''Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis''. Genetic data have not so far supported its taxonomic distinction.<ref name=RSA>[http://www.brooktrout.ca/aurora-trout.pdf ''Recovery Strategy for the Aurora trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis'') in Canada''] Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, July 2006.</ref> |
The '''aurora trout''', ''Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis'', is a variant or [[subspecies]] of the [[brook trout]] native to two lakes in the [[Temagami]] District of [[Ontario]], Canada. The existence of the fish was brought to the attention of the angling world by four American anglers who were taken by Archie King of [[Latchford, Ontario]] [[Canada]] into [[Ontario]]'s [[Lady Evelyn River]] System in 1923. Recognising the fish as different or unique, the anglers took a specimen back to the [[Carnegie Museum of Natural History|Carnegie Museum]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]] in the [[United States]], where Dr. [[Arthur W. Henn]] was asked to identify the fish. He wrote about the fish in 1925 wherein he and Rinckenbach identified it as a distinct species, ''Salvelinus timagamiensis'' but, since a seminal re-examination of the material by Sale in 1967, [[Taxonomy|taxonomists]] now agree the fish is, in a fact, at most a subspecies of the brook trout, named ''Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis''. Genetic data have not so far supported its taxonomic distinction.<ref name=RSA>[http://www.brooktrout.ca/aurora-trout.pdf ''Recovery Strategy for the Aurora trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis'') in Canada''] Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, July 2006.</ref> |
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The Aurora Trout was originally found in North Eastern Ontario and was named by William H. Rinkenbach after the Canadian Northern Lights. Paul Graf, manager of the provincial fish hatchery in Charlton, Ontario, breeded the Aurora in captivity. He is responsible for today’s population. Graf wasn’t the first to bring eggs into captivity. A.Elsey a biologist at Swastika took 10,000 eggs from connecting streams and attempted to increase the population. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful due to human handling of the eggs. The following time the eggs were caught in a different area rather than streams and were airlifted rather than human hands. This attempt was successful, but the population is increasing again due to acid rain. The Aurora trout can now be found in 12 different lakes including the two original. The committee on the status of Wildlife labeled the species to be endangered and it is still on that list. The trout is protected by the Federal Fisheries Act. |
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Revision as of 15:29, 17 November 2012
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (July 2011) |
| Aurora trout | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
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| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | S. f. timagamiensis
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| Trinomial name | |
| Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis (Henn, 1925)
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Introduction
The Aurora trout are considered to be a sub species of the Brooke Trout. They were originally believed to be the brook trout with a simple color distinction. Through further examination in 1967 of their features they were designated as a sub-species.[1] Differences in features include the lack of yellow and red spots that are common to the brook trout. Both the Aurora trout and brook trout are of the Salmon family.
Description
Distinct characteristics of the Aurora trout are its hooked lower jaw. The humped backs of the Aurora trout are a deep purple on females while the males of the species have one that is jet-black and have a white underbelly. They have silver flanks that occasionally have a purple sheen, the back of which are an olive-brown. The colouration of their bodies is magenta hue to a bright, nearly fluorescent orange. Their pectoral, pelvic and anal fins have white leading edges followed by a black line and orange or red cover the rest of the fin.[2]
The Aurora trout differs from the brook trout because they do not display the same vermiculations (wormlike movement). Juvenile Aurora trout show vemiculations like the brook trout but this fades with growth. The size of the Aurora trout reaches 60cm total length and 3.5 kg in weight.[2]
The largest recorded catch of the Aurora trout was made by Geoff Bernardo in September of 1993. It weighed 1.7kg and was taken out of Carol Lake in Northern Ontario.[2]
History
The aurora trout, Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis, is a variant or subspecies of the brook trout native to two lakes in the Temagami District of Ontario, Canada. The existence of the fish was brought to the attention of the angling world by four American anglers who were taken by Archie King of Latchford, Ontario Canada into Ontario's Lady Evelyn River System in 1923. Recognising the fish as different or unique, the anglers took a specimen back to the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh in the United States, where Dr. Arthur W. Henn was asked to identify the fish. He wrote about the fish in 1925 wherein he and Rinckenbach identified it as a distinct species, Salvelinus timagamiensis but, since a seminal re-examination of the material by Sale in 1967, taxonomists now agree the fish is, in a fact, at most a subspecies of the brook trout, named Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis. Genetic data have not so far supported its taxonomic distinction.[3]
The Aurora Trout was originally found in North Eastern Ontario and was named by William H. Rinkenbach after the Canadian Northern Lights. Paul Graf, manager of the provincial fish hatchery in Charlton, Ontario, breeded the Aurora in captivity. He is responsible for today’s population. Graf wasn’t the first to bring eggs into captivity. A.Elsey a biologist at Swastika took 10,000 eggs from connecting streams and attempted to increase the population. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful due to human handling of the eggs. The following time the eggs were caught in a different area rather than streams and were airlifted rather than human hands. This attempt was successful, but the population is increasing again due to acid rain. The Aurora trout can now be found in 12 different lakes including the two original. The committee on the status of Wildlife labeled the species to be endangered and it is still on that list. The trout is protected by the Federal Fisheries Act.
References
- ^ Scott and Scott, W.B and N.G (1998). Atlantic fishes of canada. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press. pp. 144–145. ISBN 0-8020-5172-8.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ a b c Coad, Brian W. (1995). Encyclopedia of Canadian fishes. Singapore: Canadian museum of nature and canadian sportfishing production Inc. pp. 72–74. ISBN 0-9692391-7-3.
- ^ Recovery Strategy for the Aurora trout (Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis) in Canada Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, July 2006.
External links
- The Aurora Trout ... a Species at Risk in Ontario Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2010-09-27)