Bear Lake vs Bonneville Cutthroats

[mm73]

Are these the same species? This entry on the UDWR species database makes it sound like they are: http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search ... m=oncoclut

I had always thought the Bear Lake Cutthroat was a distinct species unique to Bear Lake (and later introduced to Strawberry Res.). I did not know it was considered a Bonneville Cutthroat. Anybody have any insight on this?

[Packfish]

I have always understood it as a Bonneville cutt that evolved in Bear Lake (sub-species).

[mm73]

So it is a sub-species of a sub-species? The Bonneville Cutthroat is already a sub-species of the Cutthroat species (ONCORHYNCHUS CLARKII).

[The Naturalist]

Colorado, Bonneville, Bear Lake, are all subspecies of Cutthroat, each thought have their own individual markings and adaptations. As I understand it they would all be able to interbreed and produce fertile offspring. I believe the DWR wants to preserve the uniquness of each which makes it sound as if they are separate species.

[Catherder]

I did not know it was considered a Bonneville Cutthroat. Anybody have any insight on this?

Yes, it is. Bear Lake cutts are considered a Bonneville cutt.

Colorado, Bonneville, Bear Lake, are all subspecies of Cutthroat,

The Bear Lake cutt is actually a subgrouping of the Bonneville Cutt. Colorado River and Bonneville cutts are full subspecies.

The DWR put out a paper a few years back that went into the Bonneville cutt "subgroupings". The researchers identified 5 distinct ones! I am at work so I can't link the paper and am going from memory, but I believe the subgroupings were as follows; 1. Main Basin (Northern and Central part of state down past Utah lake) 2. West Desert ( Deep Creek and Snake range) 3. Sevier drainage 4. Bear river drainage/Northern 5. Bear Lake Cutt. (I will have to double check these names for you)

As I recall, the paper stated that the Bear lake cutt was more closely aligned genetically to the cutts of the Snake river than the other 4 Bonneville groups. (Yellowstone and Snake river finespotted cutts) I suppose that this is no surprise since in geologic times, BL has been attached to the Snake river.

[campfire]

I am not a biologist but I will take a stab at this. There are many different terms used, ie. species, sub species, groups, subgroups, etc., but the term I hear most is "strain". There are and have been historically many different "strains" of bonnevill cutts. There is/was the Lahontan and Pyramid Lake strains, the Bear Lake strain, the old Utah Lake strain, Northern strain, Southern strain, etc. All had/have slightly different genetics and characteristics but all are/were Bonnevilles. Some of the characteristics (like size) are related to genetics and some are related to habitat (like with the Layhontans). My 2 cents.

[Catherder]

Yes, there are a variety of terms thrown out such as "strains" "subgroups" and others. They can get confusing and they sometimes are controversial among even the experts. Nevertheless, the Cutt researchers can show how it all fits together and it actually makes a lot of sense.

There is/was the Lahontan and Pyramid Lake strains, the Bear Lake strain, the old Utah Lake strain, Northern strain, Southern strain, etc. All had/have slightly different genetics and characteristics but all are/were Bonnevilles.

Incorrect. The Lahontan cutthroat is a separate, full, and different subspecies that evolved in the Lahontan basin of Western Nevada, Eastern California, and parts of Oregon. They NEVER were in Lake Bonneville but were in a separate large lake during that epoch (Lake Lahontan). They are evolutionarily speaking a fairly large distance away from the Bonneville cutts. (Bonnevilles are closer evolutionarily to the Yellowstone and Snake river cutts)

The Lahontan cutts found in the Pilot range of Utah were felt to have been transported there from Pyramid lake in the late 1800's or early 1900's.

[Catherder]

Here is the link to that paper I referred to.

http://wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/cacs7.pdf

The 5 BCT subgroupings were correctly listed in the above previous post.

[campfire]

Thanks, Catherder for the clarification.

[mm73]

Thanks for the explanation Catherder. I had always thought that the Bear Lake Cutt was related to the Snake River Cutt but was a distinct sub-species due to geologic isolation in Bear Lake. I did not know it was considered to be a "strain" of Bonneville Cutt, but I guess that makes sense since Lake Bonneville captured the Bear River before its demise.