It is true that trout and salmon are related. In fact, they are so closely related that fishermen and scientists often have a difficult time classifying the individual species. Both fish are classified as “an oily fish”. Technically Trout are a species of freshwater and saltwater fish and Salmon belong to some of the same family as trout. However unlike most trout, most salmon species spend most of their lives in salt water and are not usually found in fresh water on a regular basis.
In 1989 DNA tests showed that the rainbow trout also known as the steelhead really isn’t a trout at all, and the fish was reclassified as a salmon. Likewise, the Atlantic salmon was then not determined to be a salmon after all, and reclassified as a trout.
The salmon and trout family is quite large and also includes great game fish such as the trout, salmon, chars, and grayling. It also includes baitfish such as the whitefish and ciscoes. This family is native to cool/cold streams and lakes throughout Europe, Northern Asia and North America and has also been known to reach as far south as Northwest Mexico and Northern Africa.
Some of the main species of salmon include the following:
- Adriatic trout
- Atlantic trout
- Brown trout
- Cutthroat trout
- Flathead trout
- Hucan salmon
- Kokanee salmon
- Land-locked trout
- Maramorta trout
- Ohrid trout
- Pacific salmon
- Rainbow trout
- Sevan trout
- Steelhead salmon
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