Fishy business

Students at Centennial Elementary dissect a steelhead Thursday.

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Story Published: Apr 23, 2009 at 11:00 PM PDT

Story Updated: Apr 23, 2009 at 11:00 PM PDT

By Matt Loveless

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LEWISTON – It was a full week of fish education, ending at school with an old-fashioned dissection.

It was Centennial Elementary's week of "Steelhead-ucation.” After a Tuesday tour of the Dworshak National Fish Hatchery in Ahsahka, spawned steelhead made the trip to Lewiston for students to get an inside look.

"Specifically what makes the steelhead a steelhead," said Information Education Manager for Dworshak Fisheries Susan Sawyer. "The form and function of the fins and body, and comparative anatomy between fish and humans."

5th Grader Laramie Scott was at the hatchery to see the fish spawned, and said he loved getting his hands dirty, and didn't even mind a little blood.

"It's kind of cool," he said. "It's a souvenir I got."

So what does it feel like inside a cold steelhead?

"As long as my mom isn't listening, it's like once in awhile when food is in the refrigerator, and you kind of squish it up, and it's wet a bit," said Laramie. "Kind of like that."

"This is a chance for these kids to handle some fish that are huge and impressive, and really helps them to appreciate the life cycle of these fish and what goes on under the water that they never really see," said Sawyer.

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