trutta

Trutta is a Latin word meaning trout. In zoological nomenclature, it has appeared as a genus name in early classifications and as the species epithet for the brown trout, Salmo trutta. In modern taxonomy, brown trout are typically placed in the genus Salmo, with Salmo trutta used for the species that includes multiple ecotypes, including riverine and anadromous forms.

The term sea trout is commonly applied to the anadromous form that migrates to the sea, while freshwater forms are often known simply as brown trout or river trout. A historic subdivision split Salmo trutta into subspecies such as fario (river trout) and lacustris (lake trout), but many authorities treat these as ecotypes of a single species rather than distinct species.

Distribution and habitat: Trutta-related trout are native to Europe and western Asia and have been introduced widely elsewhere. They inhabit cool, well-oxygenated rivers, streams, and lakes, and some populations migrate between freshwater and coastal zones. They spawn in gravel beds.

Ecology: Juveniles feed on aquatic invertebrates; as they grow, they consume larger prey, including fish. Their life history varies with ecotype, especially between resident freshwater forms and anadromous forms that move to the sea.

Human relevance: Brown trout are valued as a game fish and are important in recreational and commercial fisheries in many regions. They are a focus of fishery management and conservation efforts.

Etymology: The name traces to Latin trutta “trout” and has appeared in binomial nomenclature since Linnaeus’s era.