I wasn't there, and I haven't looked through a microscope at the fish in question, but this seems suspect to me. It contradicts everything I learned about genetics in biology class. However, that was some time back, well before the advent of electricity and indoor plumbing, and Mendel was teaching.

If the peninsula fish have a different number of chromosomes, then it seems like they wouldn't be able to breed with the puget sound fish. If that is true, then, by definition, they would be a different species, wouldn't they? That would mean that one group or the other aren't steelhead.

Fascinating fact, if true.

If she is as attractive as Jerry sez, are you absolutely sure that you heard what she said correctly?