Aurora trout COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 6

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Description

• Taxonomy

The basic colouration of Aurora Trout is similar to other Brook Trout (Sale 1967). Dorsal colouration is olive green to dark brown. Along the sides this fades to iridescent steel blue and silver and pales to a white abdomen that is often tinged with pink. Pectoral, pelvic and anal fins have a leading white edge backed by a black bar and orange or red posterior. During spawning season the colour of males intensifies, the sides and upper abdomen taking on a bright red colour, often edged by a band of black along the abdomen (Figure 1). The distinguishing aspects of Aurora Trout colouration (Henn and Rinkenbach 1925; Sale 1967) are: (1) adult Aurora Trout lack the yellow spots and vermiculations that typically occur on the dorsal surface of other Brook Trout; and (2) the numerous red spots surrounded by blue halos characteristically found on the sides of Brook Trout are greatly reduced in number or are absent on Aurora Trout. Sale (1967) further noted that the body colour of Aurora Trout exhibits a strong iridescence not apparent in other Brook Trout.

Figure 1: Female Aurora Trout

Photograph by E. Snucins.

Taxonomy