Rainbow trout arrived in Dave Babik’s seventh period biology class on Feb. 3 and hatched a while ago. They are now moving around, searching for food. 

    “[Their current stage] would be called sac-fry. They are still very young. They have absorbed their egg sacs and are now swimming around, looking for food,” said Babik. “[Soon] they’ll be called ‘fingerlings,’ which is when they get to be about an inch or larger.”

   Currently, the trout tank in Babik’s class is covered by pieces of foam to insulate and keep most light out of the tank. However, he recently removed the foam at the front of the tank, making the young fish, also known as fry, more visible.

   “Insulating your classroom trout tank is absolutely crucial. It keeps the water at a more constant temperature, which saves wear and tear on your chiller and also keeps the trout much happier,” TIC stated.

   Cody Whipple, of the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission, stated that the scientific name for a rainbow trout is “Oncorhynchus mykiss,” which means “hook snout, hooked lower jaw.” Whipple also said that one characteristic that one can use to help identify a rainbow trout is that they have spots throughout their entire body, which can grow to be around 10 to 12 inches in length.

   When trout first hatch, they are called an “alevin,” which means that they are newly hatched and have a yolk sac attached to them. As time goes on, they consume that sac to get nourishment while it continues to develop.

   Whipple said that trout prefer lakes, rivers and streams where water temperatures are less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and their preferred temperature range is between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Whipple said that trout can produce anywhere from 500 to 10,000 eggs, depending on the size of the female. He also said the average lifespan of trout is up to eight years.

   “Most of [the trout] are still with us. We’ve only found one fry that was dead and a couple eggs that didn’t hatch– so, so far, so good,” Babik stated.

   Whipple stated that when talking about the physical characteristics of these fish, their body color is silvery grey to dark green; a pinkish or reddish lateral stripe, sometimes with lavender or orange overtones runs from the gill cover all the way to the tail, stated Whipple. 

   Whipple also said that throughout Pa., rainbow trout are stocked by Pa. Fish and Boat Commission throughout all of their approved stock trout waterways. To learn more about rainbow trout and their role, go to the Fish and Boat Commission website.

 

Abby Dreistadt, Staff Writer