Morphological characteristics of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L. 1758) from the Hornsund area of Vest Spitsbergen

Abstract

Morphological characteristics of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) are presented. Meristic and plastic characters were treated statistically. Males and females were found to differ in 8 plastic characters, all related to head structure and fin length. Males had more massive and longer jaws and a longer snout as well as longer pectoral, ventral, and dorsal fins. The mean arch gill raker and pyloric caeca counts in the population studied are 26.42 and 37.76, respectively. The Spitsbergen Arctic charr is regarded as a typical form of Salvelinus alpinus (L.).