▁lif es pan ▁is ▁around ▁ 7 ▁years . ▁It ▁is ▁brown , ▁gray , ▁or ▁o live ▁green ▁on ▁its ▁upper ▁parts ▁and ▁white ▁or ▁yellow ish ▁vent r ally . ▁There ▁are ▁dark ▁sp ots ▁or ▁bars ▁on ▁the ▁back ▁and ▁dark ▁bars ▁on ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁fins . ▁The ▁bre eding ▁male ▁is ▁dark er ▁in ▁color ▁than ▁the ▁female ▁and ▁non bre eding ▁male . ▁Both ▁sex es ▁develop ▁an ▁orange ▁color ation ▁along ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁d ors al ▁fin ▁during ▁bre eding . ▁The ▁p ector al ▁fins ▁are ▁large ▁and ▁fan - sh aped . ▁The ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁fish ▁is ▁pr ick ly ; ▁in land - d well ing ▁fish ▁tend ▁to ▁be ▁more ▁pr ick ly ▁than ▁those ▁at ▁the ▁coast . ▁ ▁Bi ology ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁main ▁forms ▁of ▁the ▁species . ▁The ▁in land ▁form ▁lives ▁in ▁la kes , ▁while ▁the ▁coast al ▁form ▁lives ▁in ▁rivers ▁and ▁sw ims ▁down ▁into ▁bra ck ish ▁est u aries ▁to ▁bre ed . ▁A ▁cat ad rom ous ▁species , ▁it ▁is ▁toler ant ▁of ▁high ▁and ▁low ▁sal in ities . ▁It ▁is ▁generally ▁a ▁bottom - d well ing ▁species . ▁It ▁is ▁no ct urn al , ▁feed ing ▁at ▁night . ▁ ▁The ▁di et ▁of ▁the ▁fish ▁includes ▁water ▁in verte br ates , ▁insect s ▁and ▁their ▁lar va e , ▁sal mon ▁eggs , ▁fish ▁lar va e , ▁especially ▁those