Arctic char

Large male Arctic char and Erik

Arctic char or Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, is a cold water fish in the family Salmonidae. It is native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes. It breeds in fresh water. Char may either be landlocked or anadromous, migrating to the sea. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It is the only fish species in Lake Hazenon Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic. It is one of the rarest fish species in Britain.Found only in deep, cold, glacial lakes, and is at risk from acidification. In other parts of its range, such as Scandinavia, it is much more common, and is fished extensively. It is also common in the Alps, (particularly in Trentino and in the mountain part of Lombardy). Char are also found in Iceland. In Siberia, it is known as golets. The Arctic char is a relative of both salmon and lake trout. It shares traits with both. The char's color depends on the time of year and where it lives. The back is usually dark brown or olive green. It has dark spots on a light background on its sides, and the color can be gold, brown, red, or orange. At spawning, the fins and belly become bright red or orange.