# Rainbow trout (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/rainbow-trout  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a bony fish in the family Salmonidae, subfamily Salmoninae, within the order Salmoniformes. Its main foods are algae, beetle, caddisfly, fish, formicidae, grasshopper, gryllidae, palinuridae, shrimp, teuthida and tipulidae. It is also called Baiser, Steelhead, Banana trout, Pacific trout and Redband trout, and its scientific name carries the authority (Walbaum, 1792).

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 500 g – 2.5 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | algae, beetle, caddisfly, fish, formicidae, grasshopper and 5 more |
| Habitat | freshwater |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Teleostei
- order: Salmoniformes
- family: Salmonidae
- genus: Oncorhynchus
- species: *Oncorhynchus mykiss* (Walbaum, 1792)

Synonyms: *Fario gairdneri*, *Onchorhynchus mykiss*, *Onchorrhychus mykiss*, *Onchorynchus mykiss*, *Oncorhynchus gairdnerii*, *Oncorhynchus kamloops*, *Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdnerii*, *Oncorhynchus mykiss gibbsi*, *Oncorhynchus mykiss gilberti*, *Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus*, *Oncorhynchus mykiss nelsoni*, *Oncorhynchus myskis*, *Oncorhynchus penshinensis*, *Parasalmo gairdneri*, *Parasalmo mykiss*, *Parasalmo penshinensis*, *Salmo gairdneri*, *Salmo gairdneri beardsleei*, *Salmo gairdneri gairdneri*, *Salmo gairdneri irideus*, *Salmo gairdneri kamloops*, *Salmo gairdneri shasta*, *Salmo gairdneri var. gilberti*, *Salmo gairdneri var. shasta*, *Salmo gairdnerii*, *Salmo gairdnerii gairdnerii*, *Salmo gairdnerii irideus*, *Salmo gibbsii*, *Salmo gilberti*, *Salmo iridea*, *Salmo irideus*, *Salmo irideus argentatus*, *Salmo irideus morph argentatus*, *Salmo irideux*, *Salmo kamloops*, *Salmo kamloops whitehousei*, *Salmo masoni*, *Salmo muikisi*, *Salmo mykiss*, *Salmo nelsoni*, *Salmo newberrii*, *Salmo penshinensis*, *Salmo purpuratus*, *Salmo regalis*, *Salmo rivularis*, *Salmo rivularis kamloops*, *Salmo smaragdus*, *Salmo truncatus*, *Salmono gairdneri*, *Trutta iridea*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the rainbow trout?

The rainbow trout is a bony fish. It belongs to the family Salmonidae in the order Salmoniformes.

### What is the scientific name of the rainbow trout?

The scientific name of the rainbow trout is Oncorhynchus mykiss. It is placed in the genus Oncorhynchus.

### What does the rainbow trout eat?

The main foods of the rainbow trout are algae, beetle, caddisfly, fish, formicidae, grasshopper, gryllidae, palinuridae, shrimp, teuthida and tipulidae.

### Who named the rainbow trout?

The rainbow trout was named by Walbaum in 1792, with the authority written as (Walbaum, 1792).

### What other names does the rainbow trout have?

Other English names for the rainbow trout are Baiser, Steelhead, Banana trout, Pacific trout and Redband trout.

### What family does the rainbow trout belong to?

The rainbow trout belongs to the family Salmonidae, in the subfamily Salmoninae.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/rainbow-trout