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Brook Trout(Salvelinus fontinalis) |
Brook trout average a length of 10 to 12 inches; However, they can be caught measuring up to 21 inches and weighing 4-6 pounds. Breeding males develop a hook at the front of the lower jaw. Brook trout coloring is typically olive-green to dark brown on the back with silvery sides and pale spotting. All colors intensify at spawning time.
The brook trout is native to northern North America and is widely distributed throughout the coastal provinces. This species mainly occurs in clear, cool, well-oxygenated streams and lakes.
Brookies spawns in late summer or autumn in gravel beds in the shallows of headwater streams. The female will dig a redd, where she lays 100 to 5000 eggs depending on her size. They hatch 50-100 days later. The life expectancy is an average of five years. The brook trout is carnivorous and feeds upon a wide range of organisms. These trout have even been known to eat their own eggs.
