Gila Trout

At a glance

Gila Trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) is an IUCN Endangered bony-fish species regulated in 2 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

Confirmed by 86 research-grade iNaturalist observations across the species' range.

Notable details

• One of North America's rarest trout, native only to the Gila River watershed of Arizona and New Mexico.
• Adults typically measure 10–15 inches and display golden-yellow sides with scattered black spots.
• Currently listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to habitat loss and hybridization.
• Requires cold, clear mountain streams and is typically found above 6,000 feet elevation.
• Can hybridize with non-native rainbow trout, threatening the genetic purity of wild populations.

Where Gila Trout are seen

• New Mexico51 iNat obs
• Arizona35 iNat obs

Background

The Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) is a species of salmonid, related to the rainbow, native to the Southwest United States. Prior to 2006 the Gila trout was federally listed as endangered. In July 2006, after much work by the Game and Fish departments in New Mexico and Arizona, the US Forest Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Gila trout was down-listed to threatened, with a…

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Gila Trout article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other bony fish on CatchRules

• BluegillLepomis macrochirus
• European CarpCyprinus carpio
• Brown TroutSalmo trutta
• Eastern MosquitofishGambusia holbrooki