Arctic Char
Salvelinus alpinus
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Chordata
Actinopterygii
Salmoniformes
Salmonoidei
Salmoninae
Salvelinus
Salvelinus alpinus
Salvelinus is an old name for “char” (related to the German “Saibling,” meaning “little salmon”). alpinus means “of the alps / mountains / highlands,” referring to cold, upland or northern habitats.
The Arctic Char — The Northern Jewel of Ice-Bound Waters
Description
Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) is the northernmost freshwater fish on Earth, thriving in glacial lakes and polar rivers where few others can survive. It belongs to the salmon family but bridges the worlds of trout and salmon both in form and habit. Its coloration shifts dramatically—from silver and pale blue in cold, deep lakes to vivid red and orange during the spawn. The species endures brutal winters by slowing metabolism and relying on thick lipid stores, which give its flesh a buttery texture and high caloric density. It can live for more than 20 years and grow over a meter long, making it a vital top predator in Arctic aquatic ecosystems.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
15
1
kg
m
m
m
Piscivore
Hunt History
Arctic char sustained humans through some of the coldest periods of the late Pleistocene. Paleoarctic and Mesolithic peoples fished it beneath lake ice or during migrations to spawning streams. Nets of willow fiber, bone fishhooks, and spears with barbed antler tips were used to catch these fish in both open water and under ice holes. The char’s fat and flesh were preserved by freezing or drying, providing crucial nutrition across the polar year.
Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Ahrensburg, Northern Germany (12,000 years ago): Late glacial lake sediments contain Arctic char bones alongside stone fishing implements.
Finnmarksvidda, Northern Norway (9,000 years ago): Char remains found in early Mesolithic hearth sites, showing seasonal fishing in upland lakes.
Lake Laberge, Yukon, Canada (7,000 years ago): Char bones and net sinkers from early Holocene camps suggest organized under-ice fishing in subarctic environments.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Extant
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
0
BP
Quaternary
Circumpolar in Holarctic
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
High
Fat %
10
Est. Renderable Fat
1
kg
Targeted Organs
Subcutaneous and visceral
Adipose Depots
Belly and liver
Preferred Cuts
Fillets and belly
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
2