Char Species of the World
11 species of Char or Charr can be found around the world, all of which belong to the Genus, Salvelinus. Along with these 11 species there exists another half dozen significant subspecies that are unique from their closest relatives. Char are native only to Europe, Asia, and North America but have been stocked south of the equator in regions such as Patagonia. Their affinity for the coldest, cleanest water on the planet limits most of their range to the northernmost latitudes of the globe. From the deepest freshwater alpine lakes to the shallow seas of the arctic circle, they persist in a myriad of habitats while occupying a variety of niches. Differentiating char species from their trout cousins is generally done by distinguishing their dark bodies with lighter colored spots where as most members of the Oncorhynchus and Salmo genus have dark spots on a lighter colored body.
Char Species of North America
​ Native Char Species
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Brook Trout
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Bull Trout
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Lake Trout
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Dolly Varden
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Arctic Char
Notable Char Subspecies
Sunapee/Blueback Trout
Aurora Trout
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Brook Trout
Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, are the most commonly found char species in the world. They have the most southerly range of any char species, extending as far south as the Southern Appalachians. While only native to the eastern reaches of North America, they have been stocked in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. They are known to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing fish on the planet and certainly of the salmonid family. Their native range includes the Great Lakes Region of North America to the west. The southern edge of their range extends to the Appalachian mountain foothills in Georgia, extending northward through the mountains, up to the glacial lakes and streams of Labrador in Canada.
Brook Trout Subspecies
Aurora Trout
The Aurora trout can only be found in a few lakes in the Temagami region of Northern Ontario. In recent years the Aurora has been introduce to several more lake of Ontario. The Aurora differs from it's Brook Trout cousins by it's lack of spots and marmorations along the back of the fish. The color grading down each of the char does remain similar.
Bull Trout
Bull Trout, Salvelinus confluentus, are native to the Pacific Ocean drainages from Oregon, northward to central British Columbia. Once thought to be a trash fish in their native range, they are now highly regarded as a sportfish. With careful regulations placed on the populations in their southern extent, this once threatened species is doing well. Both freshwater and anadromous populations exist along the Pacific coast. Growing to substantial sizes on a largely piscivorous diet they are the top predators in the water they inhabit. In areas with salmon present, their lifecycles often follow the salmon runs with the added opportunity of an additional protein source.
Lake Trout
Lake Trout, Salvelinus namaycush, are native from the Arctic Circle in North America southward to the lakes along border of the U.S. and Canada. As one may assume by their name, Lake Trout occupy still waters for most of their life. Some individuals may move into rivers and streams during the late fall and winter for spawning before returning to the depths of the lake. These fish spend majority of their time in very deep (30m or more) water for most of the year during warmer months. Preferring the darkness of the depths, they will occasionally move shallow during ice out periods of the spring months and again just before ice on during their spawning period.
An olive colored body with white spots extending from their cheeks, all the way onto their tail distinguish the Lake Trout from its char relatives. The lake trout is also the largest and longest living member of the char family, regularly reaching sizes great than 40 inches.
Dolly Varden
The Dolly Varden, Salvelinus malma, gives the brook trout a run for it's money as the prettiest member of the Salmonid family. It's fall spawning colors are extravagant, drawing anglers from around the world in the search for "Clowned up" individuals. Native to the coastal streams of the Northern Pacific, their range extends from Northern Canada, to Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. Whether these Dolly Varden move out to sea or remain in fresh waters, much of their life revolves around the salmon runs of the northern Pacific. While no subspecies are found in North America, many subspecies exist in Asia.
Sunapee/Blueback Trout
Native to only a handful of small lakes on the Maine and Canada border, the Sunapee Trout or Blueback trout is actually a member of the Arctic Char species. Isolated in about a dozen small lakes left by glaciers following the last ice age, the Blueback maintains an appearance quite different from its closest relatives. Often occupying the deepest waters of these lakes, the Blueback only moves shallow during the coldest months of the year in search of food. Once lingering on the edge of extinction due to exotic fish introductions, the populations have bounce back considerably in recent years.
Char Species of Europe
​ Native Char Species of Europe
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Arctic Char
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Subspecies
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Umbla Char
Lake Char
Constance Char
​ Introduced Char Species
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Lake Trout
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Brook Trout
Arctic Char
The Arctic Char, Salvelinus alpinus, can be found on every continent in North America.While most of its range centers around the tributaries of the Arctic Ocean in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, and Northern Russia, subpopulations of Arctic Char have been stranded in Europe's interior lakes. Many of these lakes hold unique subspecies of these Arctic Char that have been isolated for millennia. While populations further north are often sea going individuals that feed of a variety of invertebrates and smaller fishes, the lake varieties feed on majority inspects and young fish.
Umbla Char
The Umbla Char is a subspecies of Arctic Char found in several high elevation lakes and alpine lakes of the Alps in France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. In the native lakes it inhabits, the char lives in very deep water nearly year round. In several alpine lakes where the char has been introduced, the fish does patrol the shallower areas during cooler periods of the year in search of various food resources.
Constance Char
Once thought to be extinct, the Constnce Char of Lake Constance in Germany is a unique member of the Char family that could once be found in a handful of high elevation lakes of the Alps. Little research has been done on these fish to learn more about their habits. They seldomly leave the deepest areas of Lake Constance where they find refuge for majority of the year.
Char Species of Asia
​ Native Trout Species of Asia
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White Spotted Char
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Dolly Varden
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Arctic Char
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Taranets Char
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Boganid Char
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Longfin Char
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Smallmouth Char
Notable Trout Subspecies
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Oshorokoma Char
Stone Char
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White Spotted Char
The White Spotted Char, Salvelinus leucomaenis goes by several names throughout its native range. The smaller, freshwater dwelling populations of Japan are referred to locally as Iwana. On the island of Honshu, their behavior resembles that of the Brook Trout of North America. Further to the north to the Sea of Okhotsk and the Kamchatka peninsula of Russia, they are referred to as Kundzha. Much larger in size, these sea run varieties pack on the pounds in coastal estuaries before following the salmon runs inland in the late summer and fall.
Oshorokoma
The Oshorokoma is a subspecies of Dolly Varden only found in several small streams on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. These char rarely exceed 6" in length and never leave the small streams where they were born unlive many of their Dolly Varden colors. They have kept there vivid color patterns which they display in the late fall prior to their spawn.
Boganid Char
The Boganid Char, Salvelinus boganidae, is one of the most unique members of the Salmonid family. This large predatory char never leaves the handful of lakes it inhabits, the most popular of which is Lake Elgygytgyn. A deep lake of the Chukotka region within the Arctic Circle formed by a meteor impact millions of years ago. The Boganid char feeds primarily on its 2 char relatives that also inhabit the lake. These char species are the remnants of the most ancient salmonids on the planet. They have evolved to take full advantage of the lake.
Smallmouth and Longfin Char
The Smallmouth Char, Salvelinus elgyticus, seen at the bottom of the picture and it's cousin, the Longfin Char, Salvethymus svetovidovi, seen at the top are two of the species that inhabit Elgygytgyn. These two chars remain at depths below 50 meters for the majority of their life. Little else is know about these char as expeditions to the lake have been limited. They are known to be the most common prey of the Boganid char. Their prehistoric shape shows their adaptations to the depths of the lake which can stay frozen year round on colder years.
Yellowmouth Char
The Yellowmouth Char, Salvelinus levanidovi, is native to one river east of the small city of Magadan in the Russian Far East. The Yama river possesses populations of 3 chars; the White Spotted Char, Dolly Varden, and Yellowmouth Char. While the habits of the three species is quite similar, their spawning habits do differ as well as their appearance. Where the Dolly Varden and Arctic Char are known to put on their red lipstick during their spawn, the yellowmouth char has its mouth highlighted with a yellow glow in the late summer and fall.
Stone Char
The Stone Char is a subspecies of Dolly Varden found in several of the coastal rivers of Russia. While their habits remain the same as their Dolly Varden cousins, they are known for their march darker coloration throughout the year.