Coastal Cutthroat Trout

Also known as: Yellowbellies, cutties, cutts, harvest trout and sea run cutthroat
Average size: Resident - 40 cm (16 in), 1.0 kg (2.2lbs). Sea-run - 45 cm (18 in), 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)

What they look like: Cutthroat trout usually have a distinctive
red or orange streak under their lower jaw, which may not be as obvious
when they are found in saltwater. Coastal cutthroat look differ from
all other trout because of the many spots that appear all over the
sides of the body, on the head and often on the belly and fins. Sea-run
fish are silvery, often with a distinct lemon colour on their bellies.
Feshwater cutthroats are usually darker, with a coppery or brassy
sheen. The body may have a pale yellowish colouring and lower fins may
be yellow to orange-red, Sexually mature fish often have a rose tint
underneath.

Where they live: Coastal cutthroat trout do not extend very far inland, usually less than 150 km from the coast. The farthest inland they occur in B.C. is the headwaters of the Skeena River.

These fish prefer gravelly, lowland streams and lakes. Some resident fish have a home territory in which they spend their whole lives. Coastal cutthroat also migrate to the ocean returning regularly to freshwater to feed or over-winter. If they migrate to the sea, they usually remain within estuaries or near shore, moving in and out with the tides as they feed. Extensive migrations can occur along shoals; the fish can travel 100 km from their natal streams to feeding streams. When mature, they return to spawn in the stream where they hatched.

What they eat: Coastal cutthroat are highly predatory; they feed on other fish and during salmon spawning season they also eat loose eggs. In the ocean they feed on crustaceans as well as fish. The young feed mostly on insects.

Find detailed information at the Ministry of Environment's Fish Facts Factsheets: > MORE INFO