[4] The evolutionary relationships between salmonoids is a matter of ongoing discovery, and there are different opinions about how specific populations should be grouped and named.

[8] The Little Kern golden trout is a brightly colored fish with profuse black spots on the back and tail.

Compared to coastal rainbow trout, Little Kern goldens tend to have fewer, larger, and rounder spots.

[12] To address the problems of hybridization, planting of non-native trout ceased in the 1950s, and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) began surveys in 1965 to initiate restoration efforts.

Allozyme electrophoretic analyses begun in 1976 at UC Davis ultimately identified, what they thought were six pure populations of Little Kern Golden Trout.

[14] This study also showed that one individual fish collected as broodstock from Deadman Creek genetically clustered entirely with hatchery rainbow trout reference populations.

There is concern that the adaptability of the species has suffered as a result leading to an increased risk of extinction from disease or climate change.

Future work is needed to determine the extent to which divergent populations should be admixed when trying to expand the species back into its native range.