- Country:Canada
- Collection:Silver Commemorative $20
- Metal:Silver
- Year:2015
- Denomination:$20
- Finish:Complete
- Weight (oz):1.009
- Purity:0.9999
- Mintage:6612
- Product type:Coin
One of Canada's most popular fish species among anglers!
A native of the Pacific Basin, including parts of Asia and North America from Alaska to northern Mexico, Oncorhynchus mykiss is a popular game fish that has been introduced in many non-native locales across Canada and around the world. This beautiful species, though quite diverse in appearance depending on its habitat and diet, is normally green in colour with a spotted back and bright pink streak on its side.
This member of the salmon family averages from 50 centimetres to just under 80 centimetres in length, weighing about 3.6 kilograms-but can reach very large sizes (upto 1.2 metres and 24 kilograms) under the right conditions. Its preferred natural habitat is gravel-bottomed, cool rivers and streams or lakes with sufficient vegetation for predatory coverage. Rainbow trout require fast-moving gravel-bottomed streams forspawning. Generally, river dwellers are not as large as lake dwellers.
Rainbow trout are strong predators that feed on water andland insects, small fish, and crustaceans. They aresubdivided into about fifteen sub-species, including steelhead, which are the salt-water variety of rainbow trout. Steelhead bear genetic variations thatallow them to adapt to life in salt water-a process known as smoltification. They are born in fresh water and return to their birthplace to spawn after undergoing this physiological adaptation to salt water. They are also iteroparous, which means they canspawn several times over their lifetime. Unlike their freshwater cousins, they are entirely silver in colour.
A premium version of this rainbow trout was recently released on a stunning 1 oz platinum coin. The sportfish series also includes a 1 oz gold version of the first release, the largemouth bass. Order today!
Special features:
¥ This last issue in the Royal Canadian Mint's four-coin sportfish series features a beautifully detailed image of one of North America's most sought-after sportfish: the rainbow trout.
¥ This fine silver proof coin has been expertly engraved and enhanced with a variety of polishes to accent the natural attributes of this beautiful species.
¥ Features edge lettering bearing the coin's metal weight: "9999 Fine Silver 1 oz 9999 Argent pur 1 oz"
¥ A low mintage of only 6,500 makes this coin especially exclusive.
¥ An exciting gift for the anglers and sports lovers in your life!
¥ Your coin is GST/HST exempt.
About the Design:
Designed by Canadian artist Curtis Atwater, your coin presents a portrait of a rainbow trout in its natural habitat. The image centres around the rainbow trout, viewed from its left side. The front of its body is angled toward the viewer while its tail curls behind it andto the left in the background. This presentation highlights the trout's unique torpedo-shaped body with small head, characteristic speckling, and shaded stripe along its side. The fish hovers near a fallen tree branch, which fills the background, in a shallow, gravel-bottomed river.
Did you knowÃ
¥ To spawn, female rainbow trout dig a small depression in the gravel bottom of a pool in a shallow, fast-moving stream. To dig this small nest, the trout turns on her side and uses her tail to clear the depression from the riverbed. Asshe releases several thousand eggs into the gravel, a male fertilizes them. She then covers the fertilized eggs with gravel to keep them safe until they hatch between one and two months later.
¥ Rainbow trout are particular favourites of fly-fishing anglers.
¥ Rainbow trout have sharp upper teeth but no lower teeth.
