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Biwa Trout
Oncorhynchus biwaensis
The Biwa trout, or Biwa salmon (Oncorhynchus biwaensis) is an anadromous salmonid fish of the genus Oncorhynchus, endemic to Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, but also introduced to Lake Ashi and Lake Chūzenji.
This species was previously identified to be same animal as Oncorhynchus (masuou) rhodurus which is first described from Lake Ashi. However, The Biwa trout was found to be a separate species from O. rhodurus and was described as a new species in 2025. O. rhodurus may represent a hybrid specimen instead.
From the article Biwa trout on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
At the table
Biwa trout represents a unique food fish for the Shiga Prefecture. Biwa trout and its caviar are considered a delicacy. Usual ways to prepare the trout is as sashimi, by grilling with salt, in meuniere, or by smoking, deep-frying or simmering, etc. The fish has a reputation as being very difficult to catch by angling.
Wikipedia: “Use as food”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Oncorhynchus biwaensis in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 1637182.