Redband trout

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Redband trout are three subspecies of rainbow trout that live in western North America. They are:

- Columbia River redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri)
- McCloud River redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss stonei)
- Great Basin redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii)

Where they live
- Columbia River redband trout: in the Columbia River and its tributaries in Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. There is also a population across the Great Divide in Alberta sometimes called Athabasca Rainbow Trout.
- McCloud River redband trout: in small streams of the McCloud River and Pit River systems in California (these flow into the Sacramento River).
- Great Basin redband trout: in seven basins in southeastern Oregon and nearby parts of California and Nevada.

Anadromous form
- Some Columbia River redband trout migrate to the ocean and are called redband steelhead.

Appearance
- Redband trout look like coastal rainbow trout but have larger rounded spots, parr marks that stay into adulthood, more orange-red color along the side, and white tips on their anal, dorsal, and pectoral fins.
- They can grow over 10 inches (25 cm) long in about three years.

Habitat and diet
- They prefer clean, cool, small, low-gradient streams but can tolerate higher water temperatures (about 75–80°F or 24–27°C) than other trout in the same streams.
- They eat insects, crustaceans, and smaller fish depending on their size.

Threats and status
- Populations have declined due to habitat changes or destruction, introduction of nonnative and hatchery fish, and drought.
- As of 2000, the Great Basin redband trout was not listed as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.