Chuck S. I am glad that their is a scientist in the bunch.
I will email you a photo so that you can confirm my guess. Andy S. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Chuck S Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 3:27 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Coastals versus Westies The cutthroat or (Oncorhynchus clarki) has eight firmly recognized subspecies and up to seven more considered by many as subspecies. The two mentioned above are O.c.clarki or the Costal Cutthroat and O.c.lewsi, the Westslope Cutthroat. (See below for overview and distribution) > Species Overview Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) is considered to be the first species to diverge from the ancestral Oncorhynchus lineage whcih includes the Rainbow Trout and Pacific Salmon. It includes eight recognized subspecies, plus several other potential ones that have not been formally described. The range of three subspecies extends into Oregon, (two native to Washington with the third (Lahontan)introduced) including the Lahontan cutthroat trout (O.�c. henshawi) in southeastern Oregon the Coastal cutthroat trout (O.�c. clarki) west of the Cascade Mountains and a disjunct segment of the Westslope cutthroat trout (O.�c. lewisi) in the John Day River basin. The different subspecies of O�clarki are highly divergent, especially on a biochemical level. Some systematists have suggested that it may be appropriate to split the current species into three or four species. Should this split occur, each of the Oregon subspecies could be placed in a different species. > WEST SLOPE CUTTHROAT TROUT (Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi) Subspecies Overview Westslope cutthroat trout is a subspecies of cutthroat trout common to the west slope of the Rocky Mountains of Idaho, Alberta, and British Columbia. It is also found in the upper Missouri River Basin of Montana and Wyoming. Sporadic, disjunct populations are present in eastern Oregon and Washington. The known distribution in Oregon is limited to the John Day Basin. The origin of these disjunct groups is unknown. One possible theory is that the subspecies may have been carried to the Oregon and Washington locations during the Bretz floods, 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Westslope cutthroat occupied Lake Missoula, the origin of the catastrophic floods, and the disjunct populations are scattered along the route of the floods (Allen et�al. 1986). > As for the distinctiveness of the spots and pattern, and the cut throat, etc - this varies from locale to locale and also varies with time into or out of the salt during anadromous movements.. A big difference between the two is that the Westslope Cut is notoriously non-piscavorious or in other words a bug eater--this is thought to be raised in the same areas as highly piscavorious fish such as the Bull Trout and Northern Pike Minnow. (it found a niche and occupied it) The Costal on the other hand readily eats and prefers small fish. > Good Fishing Chuck S
