By John of Paul Martin’s American Bistro
Dear Fish Loving PMABBERS"¦
I know the whole salmon thing is confusing, since many people call what we, at Paul Martin’s American Bistro are serving "Steelhead Trout" and others refer to it as "Steelhead Salmon," and still others call it "Rainbow Trout." For any of you who are interested, here’s the technical answer:
Steelhead Salmon and Rainbow Trout are the same species, both having the scientific name Oncorhynchus mykiss. The main difference is that Rainbow Trout spends their life in fresh water, but Steelhead (O. mykiss) are anadromous, meaning that they live in both fresh and salt water. On average, O. mykiss will live for around 7 years in fresh water, and then 3 years in salt water, where they can travel hundreds of miles before returning to fresh water to spawn. Each adult female can lay 1000 eggs, but usually only one will survive. Unlike other salmon, Steelhead do not die after spawning.
While an adult can weigh up to 40 pounds, Steelheads average between 8 and 11 pounds. These fish have two maturing seasons: those that return to fresh water between May and October are called Summer Steelhead, maturing in the stream, and those that mature in the Ocean return between November and April and are called Winter Steelhead. Wild salmon are endangered, but we get ours from a sustainable source in the Columbia River. The main factors for decline are logging, genetic introgression with hatchery fish, agriculture and development, fishing, and dams.
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteichthyes
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Oncorhynchus
Species: mykiss
I have plenty of information if you are still interested.
Join us at Paul Martin’s American Bistro for our delicious salmon entrees! Eat Up!
John
Paul Martin’s American Bistro, El Segundo: 2361 Rosecrans Ave., #180 310-643-9300
Paul Martin’s American Bistro Roseville: 1455 Eureka Road, #100, 916-783-3600
