Where does the name come from?

From the red slash beneath the lower jaw, which sits exactly where a cut would be. It is the field mark that separates a cutthroat from every other trout in the same river.

• Field marksRed or orange slash under the jaw. Heavy black spotting toward the tail.
• SizeVaries widely by subspecies and water.
• WaterFreestone rivers, Rockies
• Verified byA working naturalist. Named in full on the colophon.