Steelhead Life
The Natural Lifecycle of the
Steelhead Trout is Fascinating
Endangered in Southern California, the Southern Steelhead Trout needs passable fresh waterways for its lifecycle. Like salmon, they are anadromous, meaning adults live in the ocean but swim upstream to spawn. In fact, the early part of the Steelhead Lifecycle, from the Egg through Smolt stage, depends on cool, clean fresh water. Steelhead swim up to xxx miles upstream to spawn in gravel-bottomed pools.
of Steelhead Trout.
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Steelhead Trout Lifecycle
Steelhead migrate from cool fresh water pools to estuaries and the ocean and return to fresh water to spawn. Steelhead trout have a lifespan of up to 11 years (commonly 5 to 8 years) and will complete their journey between land and sea multiple times in their lives.
Egg
Steelhead hatch from eggs the same size as a pencil eraser. They are a red-orange color. An adult female steelhead can lay over 1,000 eggs!
Steelhead eggs are buried under small rocks called gravel so they do not get washed away in a storm or eaten by predators such as birds, frogs, and other fish. Steelhead eggs are laid in the winter when it is cold and rainy.
The steelhead has all the food it needs inside the egg. It only needs cold, clean water and high river flows to keep it alive.
Steelhead eggs are buried in gravel until they are about 1 month old, then their body begins to change into the next life stage called “alevin”.
Alevin
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Fry
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Smolt
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Ocean Adult
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Spawner
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