brood stock colors

[jrelaxin]

 all these brook trout breeder have deep red bellies....any idea why they are so red???

[jackal]

JR, I don't know if a 17" trout is broodstock, but the stocy we caught that size was real red with good lookin' fins as well. I justthought plastic tanks and goos stock? AL

[jrelaxin]

yeah ours too with the tail piece clipped.

[jackal]

JR, Clipped like a 'V"? Alan

[tbtool]

Brood stock according to the state is 16 inches or bigger.  After 16 inches they can get eggs from them, thats why they are brood stock. 

[jrelaxin]

no either the top or bottom has a piece shaved off...maybe it one side for males and other for females but the deep red bellies has be curious..........

[Downeaster]

To my knowledge, the deep colors, such as reds, are pigment normally caused by the forage
which the fish are eating. Forage which contains a lot of fresh water shrimp, and shellfish
provide most of the colors. This also pertains to the meat within.

[klcme]

THe meat is definitely colored by what they eat. I wondered this before and asked the biologists because a lot of people had said pink meat meant stocked fish. Not true. The red on their bellies is because of the spawn. Brookies are not a true trout, but actually are char so they are fall spawners. Hatchery or not, they still show their spawn colors! Hope this helps.

[sst4life]

I dont know but I have never seen a Hatchery fish have pink meat before.  All the hatchery fish I have ever caught have had white meat.