Steelhead trout

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is one of the most established farmed salmonid species in the world. Native to the Pacific drainages of North America, it has been introduced globally for aquaculture and is now produced almost entirely by farming rather than capture. Commercially, the species is present in two main aquaculture formats: smaller freshwater or lake-raised rainbow trout, usually produced in tanks, raceways, ponds, or RAS; and larger sea-grown trout, raised in marine cages and often marketed as steelhead. These are not different species, but different production forms of the same species, Oncorhynchus mykiss. The sea-grown product reaches larger harvest sizes and is commonly positioned with a deeper pink to red flesh colour, while the freshwater product is generally portion-sized.

Rainbow trout is used mainly for human consumption and is marketed fresh or frozen, as headed and gutted whole fish, fillets, smoked slices and portions, and other value-added products. Its commercial appeal lies in its mild flavour, soft and delicate flesh and wide product flexibility. Freshwater portion trout is well suited to whole-fish retail, horeca, and institutional catering, while larger sea-grown trout is particularly suitable for filleting, smoking, and premium red-fleshed presentations.

Rainbow trout is farmed in many countries worldwide. Within the EU, the leading trout-producing countries in are Italy, France, Denmark, and Poland. Important volumes are being raised in Turkiye and Iran. In the sea-grown large-trout segment, Norway and Chile are the dominant commercial origins.