FISHES OF NEW YORK Z06 



and caudal fius profusely covered with small black spots, no red 

 between the rami of the lower jaw. 



The steelhead trout Is found in coastwise streams from 

 southern California to Bristol bay, Alaska. It spawns in the 

 late winter and early spring; ripe eggs were obtained at Sitka, 

 Alaska, June 10. Spent fish of this species are frequently taken 

 with the spring run of the king salmon. 



The economic value of the steelhead is very great; the fish 

 reaches a weight of 30 pounds, though the average weight is 

 under 20 pounds, and the non-anadromous forms seldom exceed 

 5 or 6 pounds. 



From information furnished by Mr Annin it appears evident 

 that some of the eggs of trout received at Caledonia N. Y. many 

 years ago from the McLeod river, Cal., as rainbows, really in- 

 cluded both rainbows and steelheads. He finds certain females 

 producing deep salmon colored eggs, while in the same pond and 

 receiving the same food as other females which furnish very 

 light colored, almost white, eggs. Some of the females also 

 differ from others in going to the spawning beds nearly two 

 months earlier. It is now known also that the McLeod con- 

 tains a small-scaled form of the rainbow, known to the Indians 

 as the 710-shee, and this also may easily have been sent to the 

 east under the name of rainbow. Striking differences in the 

 appearance and habits of so called rainbows introduced into the 

 various states, lend color to this supposition. . 



Steelheads w^ere obtained for the New York aquarium in No- 

 vember 1896, from the IT. S. Fish Commission. They were 

 hatched from eggs shipped from Fort Gaston Cal. to the station 

 at Craig brook, Me. The length of the trout when received 

 ranged from 4 to 4^ inches. After one year they were 10 inches 

 long on the average, and weighed many times as much as they 

 did when received. None of them at any time showed a red 

 lateral band such as is present in the rainbow, and they are 

 farther distinguished by the presence of white tips on the ven- 

 tral and anal fins; the dorsal also has a small white tip. They 

 have been kept almost from their arrival in salt water, and 



