Gila trout

noun

: a deep-bodied trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) inhabiting cool mountain streams of New Mexico and Arizona that is typically yellowish-brown above and golden yellow on the sides and belly with profuse black dots mainly above the lateral line and a faint, rose stripe along each side of the body

Gila trout inhabit only small sections of about 15 streams in the mountains of the Gila, so it is still a fragile species.

—Wes R. Smalling, Santa Fe New Mexican, 6 Apr. 2000

Note: The Gila trout closely resembles, and is often classified as a subspecies (Oncorhynchus gilae gilae) with, the Apache trout (Oncorhynchus apache synonym Oncorhynchus gilae apache).

Word History

Etymology

from Gila river

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