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State Fish
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Arizona Symbols
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Arizona State Fish
Apache Trout
(Salmo apache)
Adopted in 1986.
The Apache or Arizona Trout, Salmo apache, has a yellowish background color without any pink lateral banding. Its spots are pronounced and usually spaced uniformly over the body. Dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins are white or yellow tipped. The dorsal fin is proportionately larger than in most other trout species. The Latin name oncorhynchus means "hooked snout" with "Apache" indicating that it was found on the Fort Apache Reservation.
The Arizona trout originally got its scientific name Salmo apache from the salmo, which is Latin for "leaper," and Apache for the Indian reservation where it was first identified.
Description
The Arizona trout has yellowish background coloration with dark spots uniformly over the body. The back of the fish is golden to olive brown. The fins are white or yellow tipped and there is a slash of orange to yellow on the lower jaw.
Location and Habitat
Found only in White Mountain lakes and streams and are one of two trout native to Arizona. The Arizona trout is not a large fish, and thus is well suited for life in small streams. They seem to prefer small-sized streams at high elevations. The fish rely primarily on pool development, undercut banks and overhanging riparian vegetation for cover. Feeding habits of the Arizona trout seem to vary according to size. Flies are the major food for sub-adult fish, while adults feed primarily on caddis flies. Numerous land insects are also taken by all sizes of this fish.
Historically, the Apache trout occupied headwaters of the Salt, San Francisco, and Little Colorado rivers. Current distribution of natural populations is in five streams on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation and in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in the White Mountains. There are also eight populations in the same area closely resembling "pure" populations, three of which occur on the Reservation. Populations have been introduced in 12 locations in the White and Pinaleno Mountains and the Kaibab Plateau. Although there is little published information about the Apache Trout, indications are that their habitat is small-sized streams at high elevations.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
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| Kingdom |
Animalia -- animals |
| Phylum |
Chordata |
| Class |
Osteichthyes |
| Order |
Salmoniformes |
| Family |
Salmonidae |
| Genus |
Salmo |
| Species |
Salmo apache |
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State Fishes
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This is a list of official and *unofficial U.S. state fish:
The only states lacking a state fish as of 2008 are Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, and Ohio.
fish ('fish)
n. pl. fish or fishˇes
1. Any of numerous cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates of the superclass Pisces, characteristically
having fins, gills, and a streamlined body and including specifically:
2. The flesh of such animals used as food.
3. Any of various primitive aquatic vertebrates of the class Cyclostomata, lacking jaws
and including the lampreys and hagfishes.
4. Any of various unrelated aquatic animals, such as a jellyfish, cuttlefish, or crayfish.
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