| Type |
Dolly Varden |
Bull Trout |
| Scientific Name |
Salvelinus malma malma |
Salvelinus confluentus |
| Distribution |
Dolly Varden lives in both fresh and salt water in East Asia and the west of North America. They extend from a just south of Canada's border to as far north as the Seward Peninsula in Alaska. They do not generally extend far inland. |
Found in the Missouri River drainages from northern Nevada and northern California to southern Yukon. Also in Coastal and Mountain Streams of the Artic and Pacific regions. |
| Size |
Fresh Water:
7-45 cm (2.75" - 17.75") - 1 kg (2.2 Lbs)
Sea-Run:
30-60 cm (12"-24") 2.3 kg (Approx. 5.1 Lbs.) |
Maximum length - 91.0 cm
(Approx. 35.75")
Maximum weight - 15 Kg
(Approx. 33.1 Lbs.) |
| Habitat |
Freshwater fish will be found in streams or lakes.
Sea-run fish can spend time in the ocean, rivers and/or streams. Generally the sea-run Dolly will stay close to a river mouth or the shore. They are not an open water fish. Dolly Varden will eat aquatic insects, sometimes fish eggs, and smaller fish. |
Likes deep pools of large cold-water rivers and lakes.
They are most common in high mountain areas. There is no evidence of any sea-run activity. |
| What do They Look Like? |
A Dolly Varden has a trout-like body. From the side, you will see light speckles on a darker body. Yellow, pink or orange spots mark all Dolly Varden. These are harder to see on the darker sea-run fish. They have teeth on both jaws. Adult males may have hooked jaws.
Sea-run fish are dark blue on the back, top of the head and top of the side. Their belly will range from silver to white.
Freshwater fish will be olive-green to brown on top and top of the sides. The sides are paler while the belly will be white to grayish. |
Bull trout differ slightly in appearance from Dolly Varden:
- The upper jaw will curve down.
- The snout will be more pointed.
- Back spots will be spaced farther apart and larger.
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