Species: Salvelinus malma
Dolly Varden
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Actinopterygii
Order
Salmoniformes
Family
Salmonidae
Genus
Salvelinus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
omble du Pacifique - omble malma
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Fishes - Bony Fishes - Salmon and Trouts
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Actinopterygii - Salmoniformes - Salmonidae - Salvelinus - .
Ecology and Life History
Habitat Type Description
Freshwater
Migration
false - true - true - Typically anadromous, but many populations landlocked (Lee et al. 1980). Anadromous populations migrate to spawning areas May-December (usually in fall, according to Page and Burr 1991).
Non-migrant
false
Locally Migrant
true
Food Comments
Fry feed on insects and their larvae as well as small crustaceans. In streams young and adult fish feed on insects, spiders, annelids, snails, small fishes and fish eggs. In saltwater adults mainly eat small fishes and invertebrates.
Reproduction Comments
Life history pattern varies with location and between anadromous and non-anadromous populations. In different areas spawns September-early November (in spring according to Page and Burr 1991). Eggs hatch usually in spring, 4.5 months after spawning. Young emerge late April to mid-May after about 18 days in gravel. Sexually mature usually in 3-6 years, lives maximum of probably 10-12 years. Some adults do not breed annually. Can experience high post-spawning mortality (Stearley 1992).
Length
50
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
2000-02-22
Global Status Last Changed
1996-09-12
Other Status
PSAT - PSAT: Proposed threatened because of similar appearance (new) - 2001-01-09 - USFWS (2001) proposed that this species be listed as threatened in Washington due to similarity of appearance to coexisting bull trout (currently listed as threatened).
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=SE&CA.BC=S4&CA.NT=S2&CA.YT=S3&US.AK=S5&US.NV=SE&US.NM=SE&US.WA=S3&US.WY=SE" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
Sea of Japan and Kuril Islands, across Aleutian chain to Alaska, north in Chukchi and Beaufort seas and south along North American Pacific coast to Puget Sound drainages, Washington, including islands off both Alaska and British Columbia where the bull trout does not occur. In Alaska, known from as far west as St. Matthew Island. Status north of the Seward Peninsula in Alaska is uncertain (Haas and McPhail 1991). A record from the McCloud River drainage, California, based on badly disintegrated specimens, probably pertains to the bull trout (the population is extirpated) (Hass and McPhail 1991). See Haas and McPhail (1991) for a fairly detailed map of Dolly Varden and bull trout distribution in North America. Common (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 1991).