Ohrid trout or the Lake Ohrid brown trout (Salmo letnica) is an endemic species of trout in Lake Ohrid and in its tributaries and outlet, the Black Drin river, in North Macedonia and Albania. Locally, the fish is known as охридска пастрмка (ohridska pastrmka) in Macedonian and koran in Albanian.
Ohrid trout is part of the brown trout complex, so its taxonomic status is controversial. It has, however, been deemed to be genetically sufficiently distinct to be regarded as a distinct species for conservation arguments.
Subdivision of the Ohrid trout
Within the Ohrid trout, up to four intralacustrine forms have been separated, which are treated as distinct species in the FishBase and by the IUCN. Morphological or molecular data so far do not support this division, though. These forms are characterized by different breeding areas and different breeding times, by which they are thought to be reproductively isolated from each other. The four forms or species include:
Salmo balcanicus breeds in the outlet of the lake in its northwest end, in October–January; it is possibly extinct.
Salmo lumi breeds in January–February in the tributaries of the lake.
Salmo aphelios breeds in May–July near springs of the eastern shore of the lake.
Salmo letnica breeds in January–February.
In addition to the Ohrid trout, Lake Ohrid has another endemic and truly distinct salmonid, Salmo ohridanus.
