Salmo aestivalis

Common name. Sevan spring trout.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Salmo in Caspian basin by: ○ flank silvery with black and red spots in individuals of all size groups / ○ parr marks distinct up to about 100 mm SL, absent or indistinct in larger individuals. Size up to 500 mm SL and 1.9 kg.

Distribution . Armenia: Lake Sevan basin.

Habitat. Lacustrine, spawns in lake and in mouths of tributaries.

Biology. Spawns in spring and early summer. Feeds mainly on benthic gammarid crustaceans.

Conservation status. VU; might by CR; may be extinct in the wild, surviving only through artificial propagation and stocking.

Further reading. Levin et al. 2022 (Sevan trout).