As many of you know, the annual fish counting has started on Brooklyn Creek. The other day there was such a variety of fish found in the counting box that we put it out to various sources to identify properly. Here are the results, including each one finishing with comments by a local DFO advisor.
Photo 1: 5 ½” Comments:
“…pretty sure it is a smolt – my guess it has spent another year in the creek, either because conditions were really good or more likely it got trapped in some pool and unable to make it to the sea in season.”
“…my guess is a rainbow, low confidence (can’t see diagnostics marks very well).”
(DFO ADVISOR) “Coho. Notice no spotting on the dorsal or caudal (tail) fins, as well as the leading black and white edge of the anal fin (faint on #1).”
#1 CONCLUSION: Coho Smolt
Photo 2: 6 ½” Comments:
“…is a cutthroat trout. It looks very much like a rainbow – if you check underneath there should be a red gash (hence the name) the other identifier is the mouth extends past the eye. On rainbows it does not.”
“…is a cutthroat trout, heavily black spotted body including dorsal and adipose fins.”
“…rainbow, higher confidence (note prominent speckles, black patches on fins). The shape of the body is more fusiform than salmon (slender, torpedo-like).”
(DFO ADVISOR) “…a cutthroat. Spots on the adipose fin, and the maxillary extends past the back of the eye. Maxillary is the little jaw bone that almost looks like an upper lip of the fish. In Rainbow the maxillary does not extend past the eye, nor do RBT have spots on there adipose.”
“…that’s very helpful. So regarding cutthroat, the absence of the red or orange mark in the “throat” area does not necessarily mean it is not a cutthroat?”
(DFO ADVISOR) “That’s correct. Those phyangeal slits (red slashes) are not always visible to us, especially depending on the age of the trout. The best tell for a cutthroat is that Maxillary length and spots on the adipose. In this case the fish only has one spot on the adispose but a Rainbow Trout wouldn’t even that many, just the marks around the edge. Also rainbows have 5 parr marks along there back between the head and dorsal that cutthroat do not.”
#2 CONCLUSION: Cutthroat Trout
Photo 3: 2″ Comments:
“…coho smolt – the white stripes on the dorsal fin and anal fin are not always evident. The other identifier is the anal fin is curved on the tail end.”
“…coho smolt, note anal fin with the black and white leading edge on the prominent anal fin.”
(DFO ADVISOR) “Coho. Notice no spotting on the dorsal or caudal (tail) fins, as well as the leading black and white edge of the anal fin…”
#3 CONCLUSION: Coho Smolt
Photo 4: 5″ Comments:
“…a coho smolt deceased – no identifying marks but it is the best guess.”
“…rainbow, lower confidence… …hard to detect diagnostic marks on photos.”
(DFO ADVISOR) “Coho. Notice no spotting on the dorsal or caudal (tail) fins, as well as the leading black and white edge of the anal fin…”
#4 CONCLUSION: Coho Smolt
Hopefully these above comments will help you identify the fish when you are taking a count. It’s not easy for those of us who have limited experience! Thanks to those that commented. Note that handling the fish by your hands is to be avoided, and in case number 4 the fish had been caught in a screen and died. Here is another Coho Identity file you can print out in colour and take to the creek (there is a copy in the storage box as well).
Want to sign up for more counting? Here are the instructions on how to do that. Thank you for your help in the 2024 count and release!