Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)
Kingdom: Animalia Class: Actinopterygii Order: Salmoniformes Family: Salmonidae
Listing Status:
General Information
Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) are members of the family Salmonidae, and are char native to the Pacific northwest and western Canada, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Montana and Canada. Compared to other salmonids, bull trout have more specific habitat requirements that appear to influence their distribution and abundance. They need cold water to survive, so they are seldom found in waters where temperatures exceed 59-64 degrees (F). They also require stable stream channels, clean spawning and rearing gravel, complex and diverse cover, and unblocked migratory corridors. Bull trout may be distinguished from brook trout by several characteristics: spots never appear on the dorsal (back) fin, and the spots that rest on the fish's olive green to bronze back are pale yellow, orange or salmon-colored. The bull trout's tail is not deeply forked as is the case with lake trout. Bull trout exhibit two forms: resident and migratory. Resident bull trout spend their entire lives in the same stream/creek. Migratory bull trout move to larger bodies of water to rear young and then migrate back to smaller waters to reproduce. An anadromous form of bull trout also exists in the Coastal-Puget Sound population, which spawns in rivers and streams but rears young in the ocean. Resident and juvenile bull trout prey on invertebrates and small fish. Adult migratory bull trout primarily eat fish. Resident bull trout range up to 10 inches long and migratory forms may range up to 35 inches and up to 32 pounds. Bull trout are currently listed coterminously as a threatened species. The Service is currently is the 5-year review process of this fish.
- States/US Territories in which the Bull Trout, U.S.A., conterminous, lower 48 states is known to occur: Idaho , Montana , Nevada , Oregon , Washington
- For more information: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/bulltrout/
» Federal Register Documents
| Date | Citation Page | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 04/08/1999 | 64 FR 17110 17125 | ETWP; Determination of Threatened Status for the Jarbidge River Population Segment of Bull Trout. |
| 06/10/1998 | 63 FR 31647 31674 | ETWP; Determination of Threatened status for the Klamath River and Columbia River Distinct Population Segments of Bull Trout |
» Recovery
Recovery Plan Information Search| Date | Citation Page | Title | Document Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07/01/2004 | 69 FR 39950 39951 | Draft Recovery Plan for the Coastal-Puget Sound Distinct Population Segment of Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus), Volumes 1 and 2 | |
| 07/01/2004 | 69 FR 39951 39952 | Draft Recovery Plan for the Jarbidge River Distinct Population Segment of Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) | |
| 04/13/2004 | 69 FR 19449 19450 | 5-Year Review of the Bull Trout | |
| 11/29/2002 | 67 FR 71439 71441 | Notice of Availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for Three of the Five Distinct Population Segments of Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) for Review and Comment |
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 04/25/2008 | Bull Trout Completed 5-yr Review |
» Critical Habitat
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Document Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/26/2005 | 70 FR 56211 56311 | Endangered and Threatened Wildlife Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Bull Trout; Final Rule | Final Rule | Active |
| 10/06/2004 | 69 FR 59995 60076 | Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Klamath River and Columbia River Populations of Bull Trout; Final Rule | Final Rule | Not Required |
| 11/29/2002 | 67 FR 71235 71438 | Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for the Klamath River and Columbia River Distinct Population Segments of Bull Trout | Proposed Rule | Not Required |
To learn more about critical habitat please see http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov
» Conservation Plans
| HCP Plan Summaries |
|---|
| Broughton Land Company |
| Cedar River Watershed HCP |
| City of Tacoma, Tacoma Water HCP |
| Plum Creek Native Fish HCP |
| Plum Creek Native Fish HCP |
| CCA Plan Summaries |
|---|
| Conservation Agreement for bull trout in the South Fork of the Flathead River (Montana) |
» Petitions
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06/12/1995 | 60 FR 30825 30826 | ETWP; 12-Month Recycled Petition Finding for a Petition To List the Bull Trout as Threatened or Endangered | |
| 06/10/1994 | 59 FR 30254 30255 | ETWP; 12-Month Petition Finding on the Bull Trout | |
| 05/17/1993 | 58 FR 28849 28852 | ETWP; 90-Day finding and Commencement of Status Review for a Petition to List the Bull Trout. |
» Life History
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
