This family includes the important game fish, the salmon, trout and charrs, which are restricted to the Arctic and North Temperate Zones. All of these fishes are active, carnivorous, cold water forms possessing extremely fine scales and an additional small fleshy fin on the back over the tail known as the adipose fin. Only the rainbow trout is native to the waters of Yosemite National Park.

Special interest is centered around this family because of the extensive migrations of the salmon from the fresh water to the ocean to mature and the return to the cradle streams to spawn just once before death. Certain strains of trout and charrs will also migrate to the ocean and return to the freshwater to spawn but unlike the salmon the trout will spawn several times before they die. The trout of Yosemite are known as resident forms because they do not migrate to the sea but limit their movements to a restricted area in their habitat.

6. Also, see Key to Species page 31.

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