| Salvelinus grayi | |
|---|---|
_(14776378792).jpg) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Salmoniformes |
| Family: | Salmonidae |
| Genus: | Salvelinus |
| Species: | S. grayi |
| Binomial name | |
| Salvelinus grayi | |
| Synonyms | |
Salmo grayi (Günther, 1862)[3] | |
Salvelinus grayi, also calledGray's char[r],Lough Melvin char[r] orfreshwater herring,[4][5] is a species oflacustrinechar in the familySalmonidae.[6][7]
It is only found inLough Melvin,Ireland;[8] numbers of fish are declining and the species is consideredcritically endangered by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature.
The describer,Albert Günther, named the fish after his longtime colleagueJohn Edward Gray. The English word "char[r]" is thought to derive fromOld Irishceara/cera meaning "[blood] red,"[9] referring to its pink-red underside.[10][11] This would also connect with itsWelsh nametorgoch, "red belly."[12]
This species grows to an average length of 10 to 12 in (25 to 30 cm) and a weight of 8 ounces (230 g). Compared to other members of theSalvelinus genus, it has a deeper body that is more laterally compressed, a shorter caudal peduncle and larger scales.[13] It can be distinguished from other char by the whitish spots on upper flank andcaudal anddorsal fins.[14]
Salvelinus grayi isbenthopelagic, living at 10–30 m (30–100 ft), except during thespawning season. It feeds onwater fleas (crustaceans of the orderCladocera). It spawns in November, in shallow rocky areas.[14]
Recorded numbers inLough Melvin declined from 33 in 1975 and 42 in 1986, to only 12 in 2001, and the species is consideredcritically endangered.Common rudd introduction andeutrophication are blamed for the decline. In 2003, a plan to relocate some of the fish to a nearby reservoir failed when no fish could be found despite extensive search. Nor was the fish observed to be spawning in its traditional spawning locations. The lake has experienced increasing levels of phosphorus as a result of agricultural activities in its catchment area, and char are notoriously sensitive to phosphorus. Another factor in the fish's decline may be the introduction into the lake of rudd and roach.[1]
Gray's Char.
Trout and char of the world | ||
|---|---|---|
| Trout of Europe andAtlantic basin Salmo |   .png) | |
| Trout of thePacific basin Oncorhynchus | ||
| True char Salvelinus | ||
 Media related toTrout at Wikimedia Commons | ||
