brown trout

There are three common forms of brown trout: river brown trout, lake brown trout, and sea brown trout.

Generally, brown trout have a slender body with a strong head perfectly adapted for swimming in fast-flowing water. Juveniles of the three forms are difficult to differentiate. However, the differences become more pronounced with age. In rivers, brown trout are usually brown in color with pearly flanks. They are covered in black spots and red dots that vary greatly depending on the specific habitat, and sometimes even within the same river.

For example, Basque brown trout is characterized by very large black spots and few, if any, red spots, while Mediterranean brown trout has numerous small black spots, and Corsican brown trout, which could eventually become a separate species, has a small number of large vermillion red spots on a gray background.

Sea and lake brown trout are more robust and silver in color, differing mainly by the shape of the black spots covering their bodies.

The brown trout is strictly carnivorous. It is an opportunistic predatory species that feeds on fish, insects, crustaceans, and even small amphibians. With age, it can also become cannibalistic, preying on smaller individuals of its own species. Its feeding behavior varies depending on water temperature and light levels.

The brown trout is an oviparous fish that buries its eggs. During the breeding season, it undertakes migrations: River and sea brown trout swim upstream in tributaries over long distances, while lake brown trout move through nearby tributaries.

Unlike salmon, the brown trout reproduces multiple times throughout its life.