Trouts of the Upper Kern River Basin, California, with Reference to Systematics and Evolution of Western North American Salmo

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Abstract
The five endemic species and subspecies of trout named from the upper Kern River drainage of the southern Sierras are revised to two subspecies of Salmo aguabonita: S. a. aguabonita and S. a. gilberti. Analysis of various characters led us to conclude that S. a. aguabonita did not differentiate from a coastal rainbow trout as surmised by other workers. This conclusion was based on: (1) morphological similarities with the inland cutthroat trout; (2) apparent relationships with the Gila, Apache, and Mexican golden trouts of New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico, respectively; (3) a chromosomal complement identical to that of the Apache trout and more readily derived from that of S. clarki than from that of S. gairdneri; and (4) geomorphogeny and zoogeography of the southern Sierras. This evidence suggests the golden trout represents an ancient form whose origin was associated with a widely distributed group of goldenlike trouts.The trout originally from the Kern River has a chromosome count and a chromosome arm number identical to those of S. a. aguabonita and therefore is classified as S. aguabonita gilberti. The Little Kern golden trout, S. whitei, is considered a synonym of S. a. gilberti. Similarities with an undescribed form of the McCloud-Pit drainage of northern California suggests a common ancestry. Today, S. a. gilberti is best represented by populations in the upper Little Kern watershed. Salmo roosevelti is considered a synonym of S. a. aguabonita, and S. rosei most likely had a hybrid origin derived from introductions of S. a. gilberti and S. a. aguabonita.

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