Salvelinus fontinalis x S. namaycush
Splake

Name:

• Salvelinus, an old name for char, from the same root as the German, Saibling, (little salmon)
• fontinalis x S. namaycush, a natural hybrid of the Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and the Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush)
• Common Name
• Other common names include: Wendigo, truite moulac (Qué)

Taxonomy:

• Kingdom Animalia
• Phylum Chordata,
• Subphylum Vertebrata,
• Superclass Osteichthyes, bony fishes
• Class Actinopterygii, ray-finned and spiny rayed fishes
• Subclass Neopterygii
• Infraclass Teleostei
• Superorder Protacanthopterygii
• Order Salmoniformes, salmon and trout
• Family Salmonidae, salmon and trout
• Genus Salvelinus, the chars

Description:

• Length
• Weight
• Coloration
• Body
• tails can be almost square or slightly forked
• Head
• Lifespan

Identification:

• The only sure way to distinguish from a Brook Trout or Lake Trout is to open up the fish and count the pyloric caeca, finger-like projections in the stomach cavity: Brook Trout numbers vary from 23 to 55; Lake Trout 93 to 208; Splake 65 to 85.

Distribution:

• Some of the BWCA lakes where Splake occur include Conchu,

Habitat:

Food:

• Minnows, insects, snails, and small perch.

History:

• Minnesota Record: 13 lbs. 05 oz., Larson Lake

Uses:

Reproduction:

Comments:

Links: