RAINBOW TROUT (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Fishing Season: November through March

It has a small head and a long body. It has two dorsal fins, the smallest of which is exclusively composed of adipose tissue.
It has a bright blue or green color on its flanks, and a silver white color on its abdomen. In the middle of each side it has a longitudinal striking red stripe. This color is typical of the species, but it may vary from one trout to another, and even disappear in some of them. Those ones are called "plateadas", which means of a silver color.

There is also an important variability as regards color in relation to the spawning season, having mature specimen a darker and brighter pigmentation. All its body is splashed by little dark spots that extend from the tail and fins to the head.

It is possible to find it in almost every river and lake in the province of Neuquén, and it is highly appreciated by anglers for its combativeness and size. They reach as much 10 kg. in lake environments. It feeds on insects, mollusks, crustaceans and fish.

Interesting info about Rainbow Trout:

• The optimum temperature for the Rainbow Trout to fatten and grow is between 13º C and 21º C (56º to 70º F).

• The minimum amount of saturated oxygen in the water required by Rainbow Trout to survive is 5 to 6 parts per million. It must normally have from 9 to 11 ppm, almost the total saturation (14 ppm).

• Alkalinity (PH) is another important factor. The adequate ranks are 7 or 8, but in a 6 PH Rainbow Trout do not reproduce because the environment is too acid.

• Rainbow Trout are sensitive to color. Brown and Rainbow Trout perceive some light absortion ranks in the spectrum which are completely invisible to us (350 nanometers {350 x10e-9m}), being red one of the colors they perceive more intensely. What is almost impossible to prove is whether any animal sees colors in the same way as we perceive them.