Editing Brook trout (section)

{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{For|the telecommunications company|Brooktrout Technology}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Brook trout in water.jpg
| image_alt = Eastern brook trout
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn |author=Hammerson, G.A. |year=2024 |title=''Salvelinus fontinalis'' |volume=2024 |page=e.T61278A18229011 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T61278A18229011.en |access-date=12 April 2025}}</ref>
| status2 = G5
| status2_system = TNC
| status2_ref = <ref name=NatureServe/>
| genus = Salvelinus
| parent = Salvelinus (Baione)
| species = fontinalis
| authority = ([[Samuel Latham Mitchill|Mitchill]], 1814)&nbsp;
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision = †''[[Salvelinus fontinalis agassizii|S. f. agassizii]]'' <small>(Garman, 1885)</small><br />
''[[Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis|S. f. timagamiensis]]'' <small>Henn & Rinckenbach, 1925</small>
| synonyms = {{collapsible list|title=<small>''previous scientific names''</small>|hlist=true|
{{nowrap|''Salmo fontinalis'' <small>Mitchill, 1814</small>}}
{{nowrap|''Baione fontinalis'' <small>(Mitchill, 1814)</small>}}
{{nowrap|''Salmo canadensis'' <small>Griffith & Smith, 1834</small>}}
{{nowrap|''Salmo hudsonicus'' <small>Suckley, 1861</small>}}
{{nowrap|''Salvelinus timagamiensis'' <small>Henn & Rinckenbach, 1925</small>}}
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fishbase.org/Nomenclature/SynonymsList.php?ID=246&SynCode=22950&GenusName=Salvelinus&SpeciesName=fontinalis |title=Synonyms of ''Salvelinus fontinalis'' (Mitchill, 1814) |publisher=Fishbase |access-date=2014-02-23}}</ref>
}}

The '''brook trout''' ('''''Salvelinus fontinalis''''') is a [[species]] of freshwater [[fish]] in the [[Salvelinus|char]] [[genus]] ''[[Salvelinus]]'' of the [[salmon]] [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Salmonidae]] native to [[Nearctic realm|Eastern North America]] in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]].<ref name=":32">{{Cite journal |last1=Adams |first1=Pauline |last2=James |first2=Christopher |last3=Speas |first3=Clay |date=March 2008 |title=Brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') Species and Conservation Assessment |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5199816.pdf |journal=US Forest Service}}</ref><ref name=NatureServe>{{Cite web |title=''Salvelinus fontinalis'' |website=NatureServe Explorer 2.0 |version=7.1 |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103972/Salvelinus_fontinalis |access-date=2024-03-22 |publisher=The Nature Conservancy}}</ref> Two ecological forms of brook trout have been recognized by the [[United States Forest Service|US Forest Service]].<ref name=":32" /> One [[Ecology|ecological]] form is long-lived [[Fish migration#Classification|potamodromous]] populations in [[Lake Superior]] known as '''coaster trout''' or '''coasters'''. The second ecological form is the short-living [[Predation|predaceous]] [[anadromous]] populations which are found in northern lakes and coastal rivers from [[Long Island]] to [[Hudson Bay]], which are referred to as '''salters'''.<ref name="srbtc2">{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.searunbrookie.org/history/ |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=Sea-Run Brook Trout Coalition |publisher=Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition}}</ref> In parts of its range, it is also known as the '''eastern brook trout''', '''speckled trout''', '''brook char''' (or '''charr'''), '''squaretail''', '''brookie''', or '''mud trout''', among others.<ref>[http://www.fishbase.org/comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=246&GenusName=Salvelinus&SpeciesName=fontinalis&StockCode=260 Common names of ''Salvelinus fontinalis''] [[FishBase]], retrieved 22 May 2015</ref> Adult coaster brook trout are capable of reaching sizes over 2''&nbsp;''feet in length and weigh up to 6.8''&nbsp;''kg (15''&nbsp;''lb), whereas adult salters average between 6 and 15''&nbsp;''inches in length and weigh between 0.5 and 2.3''&nbsp;''kg (1 and 5''&nbsp;''lb).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brook Trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') {{!}} U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |url=https://www.fws.gov/species/brook-trout-salvelinus-fontinalis |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=www.fws.gov |language=en}}</ref> The brook trout is characterized by its distinctive olive-green body with yellow and blue-rimmed red spots, white and black edged orange [[fin]]s, and [[Dorsal column–medial lemniscus pathway|dorsal]] [[vermiculation]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=Brook Trout {{!}} Species Breakdown |url=https://hookedinfishing.com/freshwater-species/brook-trout/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=HookedinFishing |language=en-US}}</ref> The diet of the brook trout is restrictive to the season and location of the fish, but will typically consist of terrestrial and [[aquatic insect]]s, [[Juvenile fish|fry]], [[crustacean]]s, [[zooplankton]], and [[worm]]s.<ref name=":32" />

Throughout history, non-native brook trout have been transplanted beyond its native borders, where it has spread across [[North America]] and much of the world.<ref name=":32" /> These brook trout have been introduced since the 1800s by means of artificial propagation and [[aquaculture]] in hope of promoting fishery resources.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Kazyak |first1=David C. |last2=Rash |first2=Jacob |last3=Lubinski |first3=Barbara A. |last4=King |first4=Tim L. |date=2018-02-01 |title=Assessing the impact of stocking northern-origin hatchery brook trout on the genetics of wild populations in North Carolina |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-017-1037-4 |journal=Conservation Genetics |language=en |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=207–219 |doi=10.1007/s10592-017-1037-4 |bibcode=2018ConG...19..207K |issn=1572-9737|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Through this transplantation, brook trout have been observed to affect native populations by outcompeting, [[Predation|preying]] upon, and [[Hybrid (biology)|hybridizing]] with many native [[Aquatic ecosystem|aquatic]] species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Harbicht |first1=Andrew B |last2=Alshamlih |first2=Mohammed |last3=Wilson |first3=Chris C |last4=Dylan J |first4=Fraser |date=May 2014 |title=Anthropogenic and habitat correlates of hybridization between hatchery and wild brook trout |url=https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjfas-2013-0460 |journal= Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences|volume=71 |issue=5|pages=688–697 |doi=10.1139/cjfas-2013-0460 |bibcode=2014CJFAS..71..688H |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last1=Day |first1=Casey C |last2=Landguth |first2=Erin L |last3=Bearlin |first3=Andrew |last4=Zachary A |first4=Holden |last5=Whiteley |first5=Andrew R |date=May 2018 |title=Using simulation modeling to inform management of invasive species: A case study of eastern brook trout suppression and eradication |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320717313502 |journal= Biological Conservation|volume=221 |pages=10–22|doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2018.01.017 |bibcode=2018BCons.221...10D |url-access=subscription }}</ref> This [[Invasive species|invasive]] nature via human-mediated introductory has led to their classification in the [[100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species|list of the top 100 globally invasive species]].<ref>{{Citation |title=100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species: A Selection From The Global Invasive Species Database |date=2019-12-31 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions |pages=715–716 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/9780520948433-159 |access-date=2024-03-22 |publisher=University of California Press|doi=10.1525/9780520948433-159 |isbn=978-0-520-94843-3 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Since the 19th century, isolated native eastern brook trout populations have faced [[Local extinction|extirpation]] due to [[Water pollution|stream pollution]], [[habitat destruction]], [[invasive species]], and waterway [[dam]]ming.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eastern Brook Trout: Status and Threats (2006) — EBTJV |url=https://easternbrooktrout.org/science-data/reports/eastern-brook-trout-status-and-threats%20(2006)/view |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=easternbrooktrout.org}}</ref> Although facing these pressures, the brook trout is not listed as an [[Endangered species|endangered]] species by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]], but native population decline has been observed.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=December 2005 |title=Conserving the Eastern Brook Trout: An Overview of Status, Threats, and Trends |url=https://dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/njfw/tic_cons_eastern_bkt.pdf |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=dep.nj.gov}}</ref>