Wildlife spotlight: Yellowstone cutthroat trout

Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) are the most widespread native trout in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This species is the state fish of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, while a subspecies of cutthroat is the state fish of four other states. 
 
Cutthroat trout spawn in rivers or streams in late April through mid-July. They mostly feed on aquatic insects like mayflies and stoneflies but will also eat smaller fish, fish eggs, small rodents, frogs, algae, and plankton. Cutthroat trout are considered a keystone species because they are an important food source for a number of birds and mammals, including bears, river otters, and mink. 
 
Unfortunately, genetically-pure cutthroat populations have declined significantly since the mid 1980s throughout their natural range in the Intermountain West. The trout are succumbing to competition with and predation by nonnative fish species, a loss of genetic integrity through hybridization, habitat degradation, and angling harvest. 
 
The decline in populations spurred the Yellowstone’s Native Fish Conservation Plan in 2010 to help the recovery of the species in Yellowstone Lake and maintain or restore genetically pure cutthroat trout in streams currently occupied by pure or hybrid trout. 
 
Cutthroat trout are popular gamefish, especially among anglers who enjoy fly fishing. The common name “cutthroat” refers to the distinctive red coloration on the underside of the lower jaw. The “clarkii” in their scientific name was given to honor explorer William Clark, coleader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.