The Salvelinus gender – Char (Rus. Golets)

From other salmon char differ with tiny scales - by touch fish is felt as naked. Char spawn several times a lifetime, however, after each spawning part of spawners die. Migrating char winter in fresh water and every year go down to sea for fattening. Landlocked char permanently habit in rivers and lakes. Some species (Dolly Vardin, Siberian char) form school of various types like migrating and landlocked, with river, lake-and-river, lake and spring dwarf ones.

Arctic char, Dolly Varden char (Salvelinus malma, Rus. Severnaya malma)

Dolly Varden char has a spindle-shaped body with sides a little bit squeezed. It has multiple white, red spots. In its spawning dress Dolly Varden char obtain spots of different colors.

Dolly Varden char habit practically in all rivers of Kamchatka and together with pink salmon it belongs to the most numerous species of fresh water fish. Its migrating form is mostly spread. It constantly migrate from rivers into sea and back. Migrating Dolly Varden char is big fish and in Kamchatka waters one can meet individuals with length up to 75 cm (30”). Usually individuals of 30-50 cm (12-20”), 1.5-2 kg (3.3-4.4 lb), 6-8 years old are caught.

Dolly Varden char is important species for both commercial harvesting and amateur fishing.

Siberian char, Sachalin char, Whitespotted char (Salvelinus leucomaenis, Rus.–Kundzha)

Siberian char also has spindle-shaped body covered with big light spots. Their number increases with age. It is bigger char than Dolly Varden char.

Siberian char is a migrating char with manifold spawning. It habits only in Asia, from Japan to Kamchatka. It can reach 99 cm (39”) of length and 11 kg (25 lb) of weight. Landlocked Siberian char grows rather slower than migrating one and it appeared smaller with weight no more than 3 kg (6.6 lb).

For spawning Siberian char enters rivers and lakes linked with sea. In different areas spawning happens in different time. In Kamchatkan rivers it happens in late August-September.

Siberian char is important for local marketing and is also good for sport fishing.