The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-26


or trout. The learned gentleman re-
piled to one of the questions as follows:
"What are steelheads?" In the lower Co
lum51s, in the spring. there is found along
with the salmon large salmon-llke fish which
is, or sed to be, and ought 10 be rejected by
the Gamers, and to which the Astoria fisher
men give the name OF s'steelhead." This fish,
rs seen at Astoria, usually weighs from ten to
nfteen pounds It's flesh is pale and its bones
are hard Its general appearance is that of a
lean spent fish, and it is comm only regarded
as worthless. Although genuine trout it is
usually mistaken for salmon, because it is
larger than most OF the kinds of salmon, ex-
cept the king salmon or quinnat.
1t Is supposed that these steelheads in the
Columbus do not ascend the river far nor do
they go far out into the sea, and it is not un-
likely that when the salmon go up in the
spring to make ready for spawning in the fall
they meet the steelhesds on the return from
their own winter spawning.
For long time no young steelheads were
received by the United States Fish Commits
sion, and 1t was doubted whether there ever
were any. In other words it was question
whether the sieelhead was really a distinct
kind OF fish, or whether it is simply brook
trout or rainbow trout, which had descended
to the sea, and taken on an increased growth
and correspondingly different habit.
Young steelheads have OF late years been
taken in the streams near the sea. They are
sufficiently Ike their parents, and differ in
color ana form from the genuine RAINBOW
trout (Salmo irideus). 1t is nevertheless true
that while other kinds of trout and the five
different kinds of Pacific Ocean salmon are
distinguished one from another by positive
anatomical characters no such difference has
yet been found to separate the rainb bow trout
from the steelhead. Their finrays, bones,
scales and teeth are absolutely alike, and
nothing except form, size and colora uion re-
main to separate them. If any one expresses
his belief that the steelhead is a sea-run rain
bow or brook trout know no way 10 convince
him OF his error. The chances are at least
equal that he is correct. The matter is one
which DR.. Gilbert and l hope some time to
clear up. As the typical rainbow trout we
may take the black-spotted trout found in Nc
Cloud River and streams about Mount Shasta.
AS the typical steelhead take that found in
the lower Columbia. The little trout in the
Coast Range have been regarded as rainbow
trout, but they may prove TO be young STEEL
head.
As to the scientific name of the steelheads
your correspondent objects TO the name Salmo
gairdneri and asks who is Gardner and who
Richardson, who gave the trout the name OF
gairdneri?
In 1886 John Richardson of London finished
his explorations OF Arctic America and pub
lished his splendid Fauna BareaH Ameri-
cana" in which is given descriptions and fig
ures OF all the animals he found. DR.. Gardner,
physician, then living in Astoria, probably
in the employ of the fur company first dis
covered the steelhead and sent it with q lot
of other salmon and trout to Richardson.
Even if California and Oregon have forgotten
Gardner he is well entitled TO whatever honor
the name of the steelhead gives him.
Why are the steelhead trout nd not saImon7
There are five species of trout in the Pacific
Ocean. They are migratory fishes, like the
Atlantic salmon, but they differ from the lat
ter and from all the trout in having a greater
number OF rays in the anal lin, fifteen to
eighteen instead of Ten or eleven, q greater
number of interh8mal bones (bones at the
base of the rays OF the anal) greater number
of glll-rakers, of branchiostegal rays and of
pyloric glands on the stomach. In short, the
Pacific salmon are built on much more lib
eral plan, with more of all organs in which
the number can be increased the salmon
live in the sea, spawn in the fall, ascend
streams from March up to the spawning time;
the males grow greatly distorted as spawning
time approaches and the great majority die
after spawning. The trout take life more
easily, and spend most of their lives, or all of
it, in fresh water.
The Atlantic salmon is not found in the Pa
cific. 1t has the anatomy of trout and the
habits of the Pacific salmon It. however,
differs from the trout in shedding the teeth on
the roof OF the mouth, which all the trout nat
urally keep. What is O salmon trout? In Eng
land there Is large trout (Salmo trutta) which
lives in the river mouths as the steelhead does
here. 1t Is q trout with some salmon charac-
teristics. 1t is not found in America but the
steelhead resembles it. The name (salmon
trout is used In America for big trout and lit
tie salmon so indiscriminately that when a
man speaks of Salmon trout we never know
what he means.
Are any of these fish hybridsf have seen
ny brid trout made by artificial tecundation.
have not seen yet hybrid fish of any kind
in Pacific waters. / is safe to say that no
kind OF fish which is common anywhere is
ever hybrid.
kinds of Pacific Coast salmon are easily recog-
nized although each one goes through many
stages OF growth in the course of its life, aud
in all the males are hook-iawed in the fall
while the young fish aud the females remain
symmetrical. These kinds are: First the
king salmon or quinnat, the largest and most
valuable and the only one usually seen in CAL
ifornia. Second-The blue-back salmon or
reddish, smaller and prett1er and more COM
mon in Alaska. These two run chiefly in the
spring, the other three in the fall. Third-The
The dog salmon. Fifth-The hump-backed
salmon. Fishermen use these names care
lessly, often calling old males ''dog salmon"
and all Young salmon ''silver salmon"
What kinds of trout exist in California? In
England the name trout is given only to the
large-scaled, black-spotted, fresh-water, or
partly migratory species. Trout thus defined
do not exist In America east of the Rocky
Mountains, the smail-scaled red-spotted or
white-spOtted species found in our Eastern
streams being called in Europe "charr" or
"salbling" OF true trout California has:
First-The rainbow trout, or California brook
trout (Salmo irideus), found from Oregon as
far as San Luis Rey. Second-The steelhead
tSalmo gairdner), in coastwise streams, ana
perhaps modified rainbow trout overgrown
from its saltwater diet. Third-Red.throat or
"cut-throat' trout (SalEo my kiss). This has q
larger mouth, much smaller scales and a
deeper dash OF scarlet under the throat. This
is found from the north side of Shasta as far
rs Kamtschatka. 1t is not common in Cali
fornia.
The Tahoe trout is a land-locked form of the
same fish. 1t is black-spotted on the belly as
well as on the back. 1t is found in Feather
River and other tributaries of the Sacramento
as well as in Lake Tahoe. 1 do not know what
sumo that it will prove to be the prevailing
trout OF Lassen and Modoc counties. 1t is
named for its discoverer, Salmo mykiss hem
shawl. IL is not regarded as distinct species,
because it varies by degrees into the mykiss,
which is the common brook trout of Oregon.
1t is not hybrid, simply race or tribe of the
other.
Has California CHAIRS also? One species.
the finest of all the trout tribe in the State is
found in tributaries of the Sacramento and
on north into Siberia. This is the "Dolfy Var
den trout (Salveliuus malma), small-scaled
and red-spotted, a fish very similar to the
brook trout of New England, or the "salbEng''
or "Ombre chevalier'' OF Europe.
Is there any easy way to tell one kind of
trout from another? No. The study of the
kinds of trout is one of the hardest in all nat
ural history.
Is there any easy way of telling trout from
salmonT Yes. Any one who can count can
do 1t II he will take the pains to find out how.
Y. M. G. A. and CogsWeIl to Meet.
This afternoon at o'clock the never
defeated Y. M. G. A. coast cham pion
team will face the Cogsweil