Colorado cutthroat fails to make U.S. list

The Colorado River cutthroat trout will not be listed as a threatened or endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday.

The federal agency studied the species after the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity asked in 1999 that the fish be classified as endangered or threatened.

The service found the species was doing well, but its findings were challenged in court. A 2006 study was conducted in response to a court order.

That study found that at least 285 populations of the native trout live in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. Those populations have not been heavily affected by oil and gas development and are not at risk of whirling disease.

The cutthroat trout is named for red and orange slash marks that appear on both sides of its lower jaw. It also has large spots and long teeth.

For more information, visit www.fws.gov.