Softmouth Trout From The River Neretva - (Salmo obtusirostris oxyrhynchus)

The Neretva softmouth trout shows the most pronounced morphological characteristics featuring the softmouth trout; all the other subspecies are more brown trout-like.

Our main goal was to study the molecular phylogeny of the softmouth trout to revise its classification from molecular data perspective. Furthermore, we intended to perform molecular study of each geographically remote softmouth trout population in order to determine their relationship.

On the basis of DNA analysis of several salmonid genera (for details see Snoj et al., 2002), a close relationship between the softmouth and brown trout was established. Phylogenetic analysis on combined data set of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA indicated that softmouth trout exhibits a closer relationship to the brown trout (Salmo trutta) than to Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). This finding refutes the classification that recognizes the softmouth trout as a separate genus Salmothymus, and suggests its reclassification on the species level as Salmo obtusirostris.