brook trout

fish
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/animal/brook-trout
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: Salvelinus fontinalis, speckled trout, squaretail
Also called:
Speckled Trout, or Squaretail
Related Topics:
char

brook trout, (Salvelinus fontinalis), popular freshwater game fish, a variety of char, regarded for its flavour and its fighting qualities when hooked. The brook trout belongs to the salmon family, Salmonidae. A native of the northeastern United States and Canada, it has been transplanted to many parts of the world. It lives in cold, clean fresh water and is recognized by dark, wormlike markings on the back, red and whitish spots on the body, and white on the leading edge of the lower fins and lower tail-fin lobe. It may weigh up to about three kilograms (six pounds). Some individuals migrate to large lakes or the sea and grow much larger and more silvery.