Little Kern Golden Trout
Little Kern Golden Trout
Oncorhynchus aguabonita whitei
| Status | Threatened |
| Listed | April 13, 1978 |
| Family | Salmonidae (Trout) |
| Description | Olive-backed trout with red cheeks and belly, and a golden underside. |
| Habitat | Clear, cool flowing water. |
| Food | Insects. |
| Reproduction | Spawns in late June. |
| Threats | Competition and hybridization with rainbow trout, pollution. |
| Range | California |
Description
The Little Kern golden trout, Oncorhynchus aguabonita whitei, a subspecies of the golden trout, reaches an adult size of 8-12 in (20-31 cm) and weighs up to 1 lb (0.45 kg). It is olive above a broad reddish lateral line, golden yellow below, and has red cheeks and belly.
Behavior
The golden trout usually spawns in late June in gravel riffle areas. Males reach sexual maturity in about two years, females in three. The trout's diet consists primarily of aquatic insects.
Habitat
This trout inhabits clear, cool, swift-flowing streams.
Distribution
The Little Kern golden trout has been found only in the Little Kern River (Tulare County), California. Genetically pure populations of Little Kern golden trout now survive only in headwater streams that were not stocked with rainbow trout or that have falls preventing upstream migration of rainbow trout. There are no current population figures.
Threats
In the 1930s rainbow trout were introduced into the Little Kern River system and hybridization with the golden trout resulted. Additional threats to the Little Kern golden trout are the possibility of water quality degradation from off-road vehicle use in the area, improper road construction, careless logging, pollution from mining operations, and overgrazing in the drainage basin.
Conservation and Recovery
The staff of the Sequoia National Forest has consulted informally with the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to determine the best way to harvest timber in the forest without disturbing the golden trout's habitat.
The main channel and tributary streams of the Little Kern river above the barrier falls have been designated by the FWS as habitat critical for the survival of the Little Kern golden trout. The state Department of Fish and Game has established the Golden Trout Wilderness Area, encompassing the FWS-designated area in the Sequoia National Forest, and has developed a management plan for the species.
Contact
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of Endangered Species
Eastside Federal Complex
911 N.E. 11th Ave
Portland, Oregon 97232
http://pacific.fws.gov/
References
Behnke, R. J. 1980. Monograph of the Native Trouts of the Genus Oncorhynchus of Western North America. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver.
Moyle, Peter. 1976. Inland Fishes of California. University of California Press, Berkeley.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1989. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. Vol XIV, No. 5: 2-9.