Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 507 



but 4.5 in larger males where heads are relatively larger; anterior contour of head 

 more narrowly tapered; pectoral fin pointed (Figs. 125, 126). 



alpinus (Linnaeus) 1758, below. 



Salvelinus alpinus (Linnaeus) 1758 



Arctic Charr 



Figures 3, 118, 119, 124-127 



Study Material. I. Sea-run populations. More than 31 specimens: 15, y^-ca. 

 600 mm SL, from eastern Greenland, Thule in northwestern Greenland, and Godthaab 

 in western Greenland; 3, from the Fraser River near Nain, Labrador (ca. 56°37'N); 

 2, from Novaya Zemlya, and others from the northwestern coast of North America and 

 from Sakhalin Island, MCZ; 11, 305-tv?. 600 mm SL, from Baffin Island, Ungava 

 Bay (Turner Coll.), and Island Harbor near Mokovik, Labrador, USNM. 



II. Freshwater populations. Numerous specimens of the alpinus complex from 

 various freshwater lakes in northern New England, northern Quebec (Lac de Marbre, 

 and a lake near Lake St. John), Norway, Switzerland, and Austria. 



Distinctive Characters. The only saltwater fishes for which Salvelinus alpinus might 

 be mistaken in eastern North American waters or around Greenland are Salmo salar 

 (Atlantic salmon) of corresponding sizes, Salvelinus fontinalis (sea-run brook trout), or 

 possibly Cristivomer namaycush (lake trout), which have sometimes been known to stray 

 out into brackish or salt water;' nor is there much danger of confusing alpinus with any 

 one of these. It is readily separated ivom fontinalis by its wholly plain color, or at most 

 by its faintly spotted dorsal and caudal fins, by the spotted (not vermiculated) color 

 pattern (if any) on its back, and by its noticeably more pointed head. It is set apart 

 from Salmo salar old enough to have dropped some of the vomerine teeth by its very 

 much smaller scales and the lack of black markings on its sides; and the toothless 

 nature of the shaft of its vomer is an additional point of distinction between alpinus and 

 a very small S. salar. Neither, I fancy, would anyone at all acquainted with the salmon- 

 like fishes be likely to mistake alpinus for C. namaycush, so much more deeply forked is 

 the caudal fin and so much longer relatively is the head of the latter (cf. Figs. 125, 129). 



Description. Based on six sea-run specimens, 360—600 mm SL, from Mokovik 

 Bay, Fraser River, and Ungava Bay, Labrador; Baffin Island; Godthaab, western Green- 

 land; and eastern Greenland; in USNM and MCZ; and on other available data.' 



Trunk fusiform, its maximum thickness about ii — iS^jo, 'ts maximum depth 

 about 22-26 "/o, of SL, depending on the fatness of the specimens; dorsal profile weakly 

 and about equally convex both forward from dorsal fin to snout and rearward to adipose 

 fin. Depth of Caudal peduncle between 0.33 and 0.5 of length ot head. Scales present 



5. In northern Labrador, in the northern part of Hudson Bay, and in Bathurst Inlet, Arctic coast of Canada. For a 

 recent list of such happenings, see Walters {yi: 275). 



6. For proportional dimensions and meristic counts for sea-run alpinus from various localities in Arctic -subarctic Canada 

 and western Greenland, see Garman {25: 80-81), Dresel {14: 255-258), Henn {32: 2), Vladykov (67: 909-913), and 

 Backus (j: 288-293). 



