turkey trout

in february 2006, researchers successfully spliced the genes of the brown trout with that of the north american wild turkey.
the brown trout and the sea trout, despite their different environments, are of the same species and brown trout are thought to be native to Asia or Europe, though there are also north american varieties.

brown trout have very low male populations because most die after spawning. their spawning habits are very similar to that of the atlantic salmon, though they typically have a harder time producing fertile offspring. a previous hybrid was that of the tiger trout, a hybrid with the brook trout. the outcome was satisfactory, but still offspring appeared to be infertile.

the north american wild turkey (meleagris gallopavo) is one of the largest galliforms. known for their hardy constitution, the wild turkey was once one of the runner-ups for title of US national bird (nominated by benjamin franklin).

in an attempt to create a stronger breed (though rumor says it was a drunken bet), researchers toyed with brown trout and wild turkey genes. treated as a joke at first, researchers were shocked when the experiment was successful and so began their 2 year obsession with creating the turkey trout. originally meant to be more fishlike in appearance, the stronger turkey genes created a trout-headed turkey-bodied creature instead. the consistency of the meat is flaky and tender and there are claims that the turkey trout may be the next great american food craze.

the turkey trout was recently released into a nature reserve in Oregon to test for survivability. here is a recent photograph of a flock:



notice the presence of the gills. though relatively useless because the turkey trout does have lungs, the gills have proven to be vital in the mating process.

this abrupt advancement in genetics hasn't gone unnoticed and many animal activists and religious groups have attempted to suppress information about the turkey trout, calling it an abomination in nature.

"i'm proud of our work and i think the turkey trout is a truly beautiful creature. true, it will take some getting used to, but it's potential contribution to the american people is unmatched by any of these 'fashion' hybrids like the leopon or any of the zebroid varieties." - anonymous researcher