The Site's Missing Subspecies of Char
The site is actually missing several subspecies of fish. For Dolly Varden there is a Northern subspecies S. malma malma and a Southern subspecies S. malma ssp. (or also reffered to as S. malma lordi)
There are three subspecies of Arctic Char - the Taranets Char S. alpinus taranetzi, Arctic char (North American high Arctic form) S. alpinus erythrinus and the Sunapee trout (also includes the blueback char and Quebec red trout) S. alpinus oquassa
There is a fish called the Aurora trout that may be worth mentioning as well. Until recently it was considered to be a full species but is now considered a subspecies/ sub population of brook trout depending on who you talk too. These fish are found in several lakes in Ontario and are the only for of brook trout with no vermications on its back. It was classified as S. fontinalis timagamiensis. The Silver Trout was another subspecies of brook trout that is no longer with us This fish's name was S. fontinalis agassizi
There is also one subspecies of lake trout from what I can tell; the Siscowet. However these fish are likely uncatchable with a fly as they are extremely deep water fish. Not all sources that I have seen recognize this fish as a subspecies though so probably don't have to include it. S. namaycush siscowet
I belive that covers all of the North America species/ subspecies of char, as we have already discussed the brook trout and bull trout forms.
Good info Gary. If I send you
Good info Gary. If I send you instructions on how to do it, would you have any interest in writing up the pages for these taxa? Maybe making a range map on Google Maps that we could include?
Sure but it will have to wait
Sure but it will have to wait at least until I get back from my trip in mid September... As I leave in the morning...
subspecies of dolly varden.....
The northern dolly.....s.malma malma is distinguished by being primarily an anadramous variety of charr from the Susitna River north in coastal Alaska...they are generally coastal and winter up the nearest large river. They have been tagged here in Alaska and found the next year over a 1,000 miles away in Siberia. The northern strain gets large and it has been recently been discovered that northern dollies are also present in Tree River, Canada and the world record arctic charr (s.alpinus erythrinus) may have been a dolly....all confusing.
The southern dolly from the Susitna River south through B.C. is often referred to as s. malma lordi, although there is dispute as the Russians refer to it as s. malma krascheninnikovi and they may have named it first. These are nearly all inland populations with a few anadramous strains. They are smaller than the northern variety...rarely getting over 15 lbs. (the northern record is nearly 30 lbs).
Brian
Coaster Brook Trout of Lake Superior?
Would the Coaster Brook Trout count as Subs. of Brook Trout/Char. I read a piece by Dr. Bhenke on it a few months back. Sound like a large Brook Trout that spends a good majority of it's life in the Lake and is different in some qualities than a Resident Brook Trout. I don't know. What do you guys think?
The coastal brook trout is
The coastal brook trout is just a life history form of brook trout that is adapted to the Great Lakes.... Pretty similar to the steelhead vs. resident rainbow trout senerio.
Catching the two life history
Catching the two life history forms could still be part of the challenge though.
Very true that would make
Very true that would make things more interesting for anglers with less fish species present in their home states. On my website I have been trying to repesent as many life history forms as possible, it helps to prolong my native trout quest as the available # of species/ subspecies left is dwindling for me...
How to set up challenges
I've been pondering for a while how to set up challenges (or whatever you want to call them). Char aside, this whole thread makes me realize that setting them up as some sort of immutable list would be a big mistake. They need to be organic and have room for nuance.
So maybe the answer is just to create a forum where anybody can post a challenge, and anybody can comment on it.
CA HTC scenario
I think this form of Brook trout should be added. My first CA HTC #5, DFG counted a Steelhead as my form of Rainbow for my first certificate (Used Tomelleri's North Umpqua Print) and for my second CA HTC #57 DFG used the Coastal Rainbow Print (Tomelleri's McKenzie River print) for an interior form that I caught out of the Clavey River. So even though identical genentically, one was 14 lbs. and one was 6" and the Biologist felt this should be counted as separate forms. If CA Dept. of Fish & Game seem to recognize them as different forms, I think we should too when it come to the Char Challenge. What do you think?
Ned