Bluefin Trout
Ervenian Era, 1051 AB
The Bluefin Trout is a subspecies of trout endemic to Lake Kadia. The fish is tied to a long tradition called the Blue Harvest which is intertwined with its mating and migration patterns. The fish holds special importance in most Kadian cultures, especially with Aderians who also associate the fish with luck and good fortune.
Life-Cycle
Bluefin trouts undergo considerable development from their juvenile stage to their eventual adult stage, and another metamorphosis from the breeding adult stage to their non-breeding adult stage. The bluefin trout is a mid-level predator, and preys upon other smaller aquatic animals, such as crustaceans, amphibians, insects, and other fish. Cannibalism is a common behavior in the species; juvenile and breeding-adult bluefins routinely prey on non-breeding adults. Every mating season, bluefin trouts rise to the surface of the lake, where the sun and proximity to other of their species causes physiological changes, in a fashion commonly compared to grasshoppers and locust. This metamorphosis changes the color of their scales and fins from the regular brown-grey to the eponymous blue. After mating, bluefin trouts shed their scales and fins like an exoskeleton and return to their usual habitat; the scales wash ashore, where they are traditionally gathered and prepared into Blue Alms. A bluefin trout that can no longer breed due to age is unable to shed its fins (but not scales) and they thus retain their blue color, which makes them an easier target for younger adults and juvenile bluefins.
Geographic Distribution
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