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Identification Help - Arctic Char Or Brookie?


Sparkplug

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Not an IT techie, so my apologies in advance if this post doesn't work, and for the poor quality photos.

 

However, I need some help identifying this fish - arctic char or brookie?

 

There were no vermiculations on its back, just spots (all yellow), and belly color was decidedly red.

 

Any thoughts? Thanks

 

 

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Difficult to say without a better picture. Does look like a Dolly especially if no black spots or vermiculations it would take it away from being a brook trout, but I could be wrong

 

Check out this ID Chart

 

Thanks Lornce, I hadn't thought about a Dolly until you mentioned it. A zoom-in on the original photos shows no black spots on the dorsal fin. In looking into Dolly vs. A/C, I found that Dollies generally have (i) smaller spots than A/C's, (ii) thicker caudal peduncle (body "connection" to tail), and (iii) less forked tail than an A/C.

 

So looks to me like a Dolly.

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Thanks Lornce, I hadn't thought about a Dolly until you mentioned it. A zoom-in on the original photos shows no black spots on the dorsal fin. In looking into Dolly vs. A/C, I found that Dollies generally have (i) smaller spots than A/C's, (ii) thicker caudal peduncle (body "connection" to tail), and (iii) less forked tail than an A/C.

 

So looks to me like a Dolly.

 

Can you give us a general idea of where it was caught as that would narrow it down. I have caught many splake and its not a splake.

 

I still say a Brookie but I am unable to zoom in on the coloration.

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Caught in a man-made pond in S Alberta. History has it that the pond and surrounding land used to be private ranchlands long ago, and owner at that time may have stocked this pond with these things, whatever they are. No way for them to get in/out of this pond naturally. I still like Lornce's thought re Dolly Vardens. As best I can tell from the original photos, no black spots on the dorsal fin, so not likely a Brookie.

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Caught in a man-made pond in S Alberta. History has it that the pond and surrounding land used to be private ranchlands long ago, and owner at that time may have stocked this pond with these things, whatever they are. No way for them to get in/out of this pond naturally. I still like Lornce's thought re Dolly Vardens. As best I can tell from the original photos, no black spots on the dorsal fin, so not likely a Brookie.

Black vermiculations aren't the for sure tell tale sign of a brook trout. Night pictures aren't helping but fairly certain there are the faint vermiculations on the bottom of its dorsal. Vermiculations on its sides are clearly visible and very square tail give pretty good indication that its a brook trout.

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I think the characteristics are really a matter of whether this is a naturally occurring cross although rare of a male brookie and a female laker or in the case of a hatchery induced backcross of a male splake and a female lake trout which would show more laker characteristics being 75% laker and 25% brook trout which is commonly used for stocking purposes as splake tend to grow much quicker than either of their parents. At the end of the day a cool looking fish as is the Tiger trout which I have yet to catch

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