| Salmo obtusirostris | |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Salmoniformes |
| Family: | Salmonidae |
| Genus: | Salmo |
| Species: | S. obtusirostris |
| Binomial name | |
| Salmo obtusirostris (Heckel, 1851) |
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| Subspecies | |
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Salmo obtusirostris, also known as the Adriatic trout[2], Adriatic salmon,[1] and softmouth trout,[3] is a species of salmonid fish endemic to the rivers of Western Balkans in southeastern Europe. The scientific name has changed several times through history; synonyms include Thymallus microlepis, Salmothymus obtusirostris and Salar obtusirostris.[2]
This species spawns in the early spring and is an obligatory freshwater fish.[3] They are an important game fish.[2]
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Salmo obtusirostris is found naturally in five drainages of the Adriatic Sea, in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro: the Neretva, Vrljika, Jadro, Zeta and Krka river drainages.[2][3] In addition it has been introduced from the Jadro to the Zrnovnica drainage in about 1960.[2] The different populations are sometimes classified into subspecies:[3]
The most obvious characteristic of the Adriatic trout is an elongated snout. It also has a small and flashy mouth, relatively large scales and high body depth.[3] Color of the body varies between subspecies, mostly it is green with red and black dots. No vertical stripes that are common in brown trout of the Adriatic Sea drainages can be found.
Adriatic trout are threatened by hybridization with introduced species and overfishing.[1] In the river Neretva, natural hybrids (named kosor by locals) between Adriatic and brown trout can be found. Hybridization was also confirmed experimentally (Kosorić & Vuković. 1969). Adriatic trout prefers rivers with more water and wide riverbed. Adriatic and brown trout have different spawning times that overlap only slightly every few years, which is why natural hybridization is not widespread and both species live sympatrically in the same rivers.
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