Talk:Sunapee trout

I think we need to slow down here and sort this out

This creation of this page has only confused matters further. It seems to be using the terms "Arctic char" "Sunappee golden trout" and "silver trout" more or less interchangeably. I have yet to see a source that clearly says what the Sunappee golden trout actually is and I question whether we should have this article at all until that is clearly sorted out. If the words "Sunapee golden trout" are even used in the two sources that currently in use here i would appreciate if someone could point out where because I am not seeing it. Beeblebrox (talk) 22:56, 2 February 2014 (UTC)

I agree. The confusion even extends to scientific names in the article and taxobox: is it Salvelinus alpinus agassizi, Salvelinus agassizi, or Salvelinus alpinus oquassa? S. agassizi is the Silver Trout, but in any case the synonyms and/or changes in taxonomy should be clarified and explained. --Animalparty-- (talk) 09:17, 10 February 2014 (UTC)

I looked at the citation from Behnke, Robert, and he defines it as Salvelinus alpinus oquassa. I am now replacing every occurance of agassizi with oquassa. Best, Purefury182 (talk) 20:52, 6 April 2014 (UTC)

Actually, based on genetic testing performed by/for Maine's Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, arctic char, arctic charr, Sunapee trout, silver trout/char, and blueback trout/char are interchangeable at the species level (S. alpinus). At the sub-species designation, these relic brethren left stranded in a couple of dozen deep lakes/ponds in Maine, southeast Canada, and some known transplants (Idaho) separate from other arctic char and are collected under the S. alpinus oquassa heading. Also note there are two silver trouts: the extinct silver trout of New Hampshire's Dublin Lake, and the silver "trout" in Maine (not dead yet). No genetic testing was done on the Lake Dublin silver trout as far as I'm aware.

However, they also determined because of this isolation these "trout" (really char) have developed their own peculiar identities: one specializes in eating snails, the silver char appears to be the largest strain (debatable because of available food sources), some are darker, some aren't, some more colorful, etc. Unfortunately, the one strain (Rangeley Lake) that spawned in rivers and was a forage fish for some of the largest brook "trout" is extinct. Adding to the confusion is the reported ability/propensity for hybrids to arise, primarily between lake "trout" and this relic char. Behnke speculated this was the cause of the lunker Sunapee "trout" caught in Lake Sunapee near the end of that fishes existence in that lake, which also had lunker brook trout. Fortunately, some stock was transplanted to Idaho before lake trout were introduced to Sunapee Lake – perhaps the seeds to replant them back in their lake of origin? Sunapee Trout (talk) 13:36, 3 July 2014 (UTC)

References