Kingdom Animalia Class Actinopterygii Family Salmonidae Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Order Salmoniformes Genus Salvelinus | |
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Similar Salvelinus inframundus, Kirikuchi char, Salvelinus umbla | ||
Salvelinus killinensis, also known as Haddy charr is a variety of char found in certain lakes in Scotland.
Salvelinus killinensis lives in Loch Killin (Inverness-shire), after which it is named. It is also found in Loch Doine (Trossachs) and perhaps in Loch Builg (Cairngorms) as well. It lives in the deeper regions of the lakes, moving to shallower waters only during the spawning season.
Recently the presence of this charr has been reported in several other lakes of Scotland, although it may be not be Salvelinus killinensis, but another similar species.
Taxonomy
The taxonomy of charrs is controversial. The Scottish authorities follow the practice which considers all the 200 Scottish charr populations, including that of Loch Killin, belonging to the single widespread circumpolar species Salvelinus alpinus (the Arctic char). The IUCN Red List however follows division of Scottish (and other) charrs to several local species. In this view other putative Scottish charr species include Salvelinus gracillimus, Salvelinus mallochi, Salvelinus struanensis and Salvelinus youngeri, and further species would exist elsewhere in the UK and Ireland.