The Arctic Char, Salvelinus alpinus, in Ireland

Introduction
In Ireland char are not very well understood as little research has been carried out. Initially the char was thought to be quite rare as it was an infrequent component of anglers catches. However, in Ireland the distribution of char was always quite widespread, particularly in western counties, though it may become rare if the present rate of extinction continues. Most of the populations of char in Ireland feature diminutive fish, however they are not a true dwarf race as their size is not dictated solely by genetics. Irish char are small compared to anadromous char, but their size range is typical of other European landlocked populations. It is thought that char in Lough Owel may have reached weights of up to 1.4kg, but this may never be known as this population is now extinct.