New Mexico State Fish

Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout

(Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis)

Adopted in  1955

The Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis, is officially the New Mexico State Fish. It is native to the cold mountain streams and lakes of northern New Mexico. It was adopted as the state fish in 1955.

Description of the New Mexico State Fish

It is dark olive color with sparsely scattered black spots. It derives its name from the bright red markings under its throat. While it is normally grows to only 6 to 8 inches in length, anglers like the fish for its fighting spirit.

Rio Grande cutthroat trout have a yellowish-green to gray-brown body with scattered black spots. They have a densely spotted tail.

The Rio Grande cutthroat trout is a subspecies of the cutthroat trout and shares the characteristic red or orange slash mark under the lower jaw that has given the species its name. The fish can be identified by a unique pattern of black spots on its sides and tail, with concentrations of the spots toward the tail. Other cutthroat trout have black spots more evenly distributed on their bodies.

Length: Up to 10 inches
Weight: Up to 1 pounds
Life span: Up to 8 years

Habitat:

The Rio Grande cutthroat, one of New Mexico's two native trout, is found primarily in small headwater streams of the Rio Grande, Pecos River, and Canadian River drainages in northern New Mexico, and the Rio Grande drainage in Colorado

Feeding Behavior:

Rio Grande cutthroat trout feed on insects, zooplankton, and crustaceans.

Reproductive Behavior (Spawning):

When: Spring or summer
Preferred Water Temperature: 48-52° F
How: The female lays between 200 to 4,500 eggs on a gravel nest in flowing water where high levels of dissolved oxygen exist.

Did You Know:

The Rio Grande cutthroat trout is the southernmost species of cutthroats.

The introduction of the rainbow trout led a decline in the populations of Rio Grande cutthroat trout, combined with early logging, grazing, and hunting practices.

While Montana, Idaho and Wyoming simply adopted the "cutthroat trout" as their state fish, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico adopted particular subspecies.

Common Names

Native Trout, Cut, Red Throat, Mountain Trout, Black-spotted Trout

Species

The cutthroat trout, Salmo clarki, has 15 recognized subspecies. There are 5 subspecies of cutthroat trout in Idaho: westslope, Yellowstone, Bonneville, Bear Lake, Snake River finespotted.

Taxonomic Hierarchy of the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout