Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 9

Reproduction-
finding its way home

The ability of a steelhead to
return to the waters of its youth
is legendary. In its native habitat
on the West Coast, steelhead are
able to return from the Pacific
Ocean and ascend rivers for over
800 miles. To find the mouth of
its home river, steelhead appear
to use a form of navigation based
on information about position
and direction of travel. This
information likely comes from
environmental cues including
day length, the sun's position,
the earth's magnetic field, water
The nares, or nostrils, are located in front of the eye on this colorful, male steelhead.
chemistry, and temperature
gradients. As spawning time
more time in spawning streams, fish continue to darken,
approaches, steelhead have the ability to orient towards
with some males becoming almost black.
the area where its natal waterway discharges.
By the time steelhead enter rivers, fish are guided
largely by a sense of smell to the correct tributary.
Body shape and feeding
Steelhead are built for speed, enabling these fish to capture Young steelhead become particularly sensitive to the
unique chemical odors of a location when small, under
baitfish in the open waters of Lake Erie. Steelhead mouths
10 inches long. Steelhead this size are called smolts.
open wide, engulfing prey up to 12 inches in length when
Odors that smolts encounter during this time of high
fish are adults. Compared to Coho Salmon and Chinook
sensitivity are remembered and become important
Salmon, the inside of the mouth of a steelhead is white, not
gray or black. This allows for an easy distinction between
direction finding cues years later, when adults return to
the species. Steelhead that grow in Lake Erie grow large,
home streams.
commonly reaching 24 inches in length, with specimens
Steelhead in Pennsylvania that return to nursery
regularly caught over 30 inches. The state record fish was
waters like Trout Run are collected and spawned at the
20-pounds, 3-ounces, and was caught in 2001. Like other
Fairview State Fish Hatchery, where fish are raised until
trout, steelhead need cold water to survive. In Lake Erie,
smolt. The PFBC stocks 1 million, 7-inch long smolts
steelhead are found in colder, deeper waters in summer.
into Lake Erie tributaries in Pennsylvania each March.
Often, steelhead move further away from shore to find
Unlike salmon, steelhead can live to spawn again.
temperatures where fish are comfortable.
Steelhead grow larger each year spent out in the lake.

The lateral line on this steelhead is clearly visible below the
dorsal fin in the light pink area of the fish. The lateral line helps
steelhead sense prey in Lake Erie as well as the flow and current
of streams.
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The eyes of steelhead work well to identify prey and see in
low light. Unlike humans, the pupil does not change size in
different light conditions. Steelhead have excellent peripheral
vision, which helps catch prey.

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2020

9
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020

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