This trout earns its name from the red markings visible outside and below its lower jaw. Prevalent in the West, the cutthroat is the so-called native trout of this area, distributed on the coast from Prince William Sound, Alaska, to northern California and inland throughout the western U.S. and Canada. Cutthroat trout are found in freshwater rivers and lakes with the anadromous form also entering saltwater. The body of a cutthroat is usually five times long as it is deep. The tail is slightly forked, and its fins are softrayed, the anal fin having 8 to 12 rays and the gill membranes supported by 9 to 12 branchiostegals. Teeth are located at the base of the tongue. Considerable color variation occurs among cutthroat trout due to its' tendency to hybridize. Some of the recognized subspecies of cutthroat trout are: Lahontan Cutthroat, Piute Cutthroat, Yellowstone Cutthroat, Utah Cutthroat, Colorado Cutthroat, and Rio Grande Cutthroat. Cutthroat trout feed exclusively on freshwater shrimp and insect larvae.
