BLUEBACK TROUT 



Salvelinus oquassa (Girard) 



Blueback trout were originally observed and studied in the Range- 

 ley Lakes of Maine. In fact, the species is named for Oquossoc Lake. 

 Bluebacks probably became extinct in the Rangeley Lakes in the early 

 1900's, and certainly the 1939 biological survey did not take any speci- 

 mens. In recent years the continuing inventory of Maine lakes reports 

 bluebacks in eight ponds. Other populations will undoubtedly be dis- 

 covered as more remote water areas are studied. 



The blueback is very similar to the Marstoni trout (Salvelinus 

 nuir.stoni) of Canada, and the two may, indeed, represent a single species. 

 Also, like the Sunapee, the blueback may actually be only a landlocked 

 population of Arctic Char, Salvelinus alpinus. Several competent taxon- 

 omists are studying the problem. 



Bluebacks collected in September, very near the spawning season, 

 are strikingly colored with a deep red on fins and belly. During the re- 

 mainder of the year, the sides, belly, and fins are a salmon color. The 

 teeth are well developed, the lateral line is very evident, and the adipose 

 fin is long and slender. 



Past accounts of the blueback trout report them as rarely seen dur- 

 ing most of the year. They appeared each year about the middle of 

 October and migrated into streams to spawn. At this time, since they 

 usually spawned in shallows not too far from the lakes, they were re- 

 moved in huge quantities by netting and spearing. Reports of the 

 numbers taken refer to bushels and to cartloads. This heavy exploitation 

 must have been of some importance in the decline to extinction of the 

 blueback in the Rangeley Lakes. The decline of the blueback popula- 

 tion also coincided with the great increase of salmon in the Rangeleys 

 and some workers attribute the loss to salmon predation. 



The Rangeley Lakes' bluebacks were small trout with the adults 

 ranging from 6 to 9 inches in total length. Seven 4-year-old specimens 

 collected from northern Aroostook County have the following total 

 lengths (inches): 10.3, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 12.8, 13.4, and 14.0. 



All the ponds supporting blueback trout populations are cold and 

 deep. Angler reports indicate that the fish are commonly caught on the 

 surface with dry flies in the spring and are readily taken on worms 

 throughout the summer. Bluebacks are also taken in the early fall as 

 the spawning season approaches and surface water temperatures are 

 cooling. 



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