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Cutthroat Trout
Oncorhynchus virginalis
- Look for a distinctive red or orange slash mark on the underside of the lower jaw on both sides — this is the key 'cutthroat' marking that gives the fish its name.
- Cutthroat trout are closely related to rainbow trout, but rainbows typically lack the bold red slash marks under the jaw that cutthroats always show.
- Cutthroat trout have a spotted body pattern typical of trout, and are found in clear, shallow rivers with gravel bottoms.
- Some cutthroat trout (coastal populations) may move between fresh and salt water, so a sea-run trout caught near coastal waters with the jaw slash marks is likely a cutthroat.