Arctic grayling

Arctic grayling

The Arctic grayling ( Thymallus arcticus ) is a bony fish of the family Salmonidae.

Features

Arctic grayling have a trout-like physique with a strikingly enlarged dorsal fin and a small mouth. Your back is deep - purple, black blue or blue-gray, the flanks are dark blue to gray with a pink shimmer and scattered dark spots and a dark longitudinal stripes between the chest and abdominal fins. The belly is gray to white. The large dorsal fin has 17 to 25 soft rays, ranging in males in the applied state to the adipose fin is dark blue and purple with rows of reddish to orange or violet to green points in the rear area and a narrow violet rim. The pelvic fins are relatively long and reach in the males the anal fin. They are dark yellowish orange with irregular red stripes. The other fins are dark. The anal fin has 11 to 15 soft rays. The number of gill rakers is 14 to 22, usually 16 to 17, the number of vertebrae in 58 to 62 In contrast to the European grayling of the upper jaw extends only to about the middle of the eye.

The animals reach an average length of about 34 centimeters. The maximum dimensions are according to sources at 45 centimeters and 1.9 kilograms to 76 centimeters and 3.8 kilograms.

Way of life

Arctic grayling inhabit cold, clear, medium to large glaciers and mountain rivers and lakes with high oxygen content. They are medium-sized schools and feed on benthic microbes and small fish. In April-May, they migrate upstream to spawn in May-June in fast-flowing mountain streams on gravelly ground. The spawning season the males are stronger. In late summer, they migrate back to bigger waters, where they overwinter in deep places.

Occurrence

Arctic grayling occur in the tributaries of the Arctic Ocean in North America, Siberia and Europe in the tributaries of the Pechora, the Korotaikha and Karastraße. The species is sensitive to water pollution, but is currently considered not threatened.