These fish inhabit cold streams and rivers, while some subspecies spend part of their life in the ocean. The most widely cultivated trout species in the world, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are bred for sport and food, and they inhabit lakes and streams on every continent except Antarctica. Learn more about what makes them unique, below. There are 15 subspecies of rainbow trout that are native to western parts of North America. The name of the genus is taken from the words, melano and taenia. For many anglers, their first trout caught on a worm, lure, or fly was a hatchery-bred rainbow stocked by the state just days or weeks earlier. Interesting Facts About the Rainbow Trout. Rainbow trout Facts. Fun & Interesting Facts about Rainbow Trout Published on March 11, 2016 by Admin We are getting ready for the 2016 Fishing Derby at Punderson and thought it would be fun to post some fun facts about Rainbow Trout since that is what is stocked in the lake prior to the derby. Each has its own unique geographical range, and looks slightly different from the next. Check other interesting facts about rainbowfish below: Facts about Rainbowfish 1: the Melanotaenia genus. Melanotaenia is considered as the largest rainbowfish genus. The Melanotaenia means black banded. Rainbow trout is a member of salmon family. Rainbow trout can be found on all continents except on the Antarctica today. This trout species has a number of interesting traits and behaviors. Subspecies – Researchers recognize 14 different and unique subspecies of this trout. The latter word means banded, while the former one means black.