[Fish ID]

18 hours ago, scel said:

These are technically non-dominant traits---they are recessive traits.  Furthermore, the slash is ironically a non-definitive for cutthroat trout.  The orange slash can pop up in rainbow trout populations with no contact with cutthroat trout  (the gene would have to be present in rainbow trout in order for them to produce viable offspring), but it does serve as a good indicator if coupled with any of the primary characteristics.

The primary physical taxonomic features that define a cutthroat trout are basibranchial teeth (little teeh-like protrusions on the tongue) and jaw that extends past the eye orbital.  The most reliable secondary characteristic is the spotting pattern---higher density near the tail.  Although, this characteristic can be easily washed out of cutthroat population (like those in the Oldman drainage).

In this case, the jaw clearly extends beyond the eye.  The secondary characteristic of increased spotting near the tail is also present.  And, of course, the orange slashes are present.  Spotting pattern extends to the head, but not a reliable marker.  If there were basibranchial teeth, you might have close to a pure cutthroat.  Almost all Alberta populations of cutthroat have been hybridized to some degree with rainbow trout, so technically almost every cutthroat is a cuttbow.  I think the only 'pure' populations are in a couple lakes in the Banff park.

source: wife is trained taxonomist and practicing biologist.

Thanks for the lesson! Learned a bit. 

 

[Fish ID]

3 hours ago, rudedawg said:

Hard to get a good image of when the fish doesn't really fit into the net. Here's one that shows the anal fin, but I don't know what you mean by "white mark".

 

Should've said a white tip instead of mark. Cuttbows have a white tip on their anal fin.

[Fish ID]

Looks like a cuttbow, a rainbow and cutthroat cross. Do you have any pics of the anal fin? A strong identifier for a cuttbow includes both dominant traits of cutts (slash), and white mark on anal fin for rainbows. I've landed cuttbows in the mid 20's before, so they can definitely grow big. 

[Lost net]

Was out there the other day, had a quick look on both sides and saw nothing.