Abstract

This study aimed to define spotting pattern features useful to discriminate wild from stocked brown trout (Salmo trutta macrostigma T., 1954) in Turkey. 136 trout captured from Munzur Stream in Tunceli, Turkey. Captured fish were measured 20.49±6.31 cm, as a standard length. It characterized the number of red spots, above and below the lateral line, the number of black spots on operculum and the number of black spots on adipose fin and the diameters of spots were measured on the trout population. It also investigated changes of these spotting pattern characters depending on male or female. The relationship of fish size with number of red spots was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Statistically significant differences between female and male fish were not observed with respect to different characters.

Key words: Salmo trutta macrostigma, brown trout, spotting patterns, number of spot.