E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 25; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 11 - 15; Vertebrae: 58 - 62. Distinguished by its greatly enlarged dorsal fin and its small mouth, which has fine teeth on both jaws (Ref. 27547). Dorsal greatly enlarged in adults (especially males), reaching adipose fin when depressed, but is shorter in females; pelvic fins rather long, reach anal fin in adult males, but not in females; lower lobe of caudal often longer than upper (Ref. 27547). A strikingly colored fish, the dorsal surface is dark purple, or blue black to blue gray, the sides gray to dark blue with pinkish iridescence, the ventral surface gray to white (Ref. 1998). Scattered dark spots on sides, these being more numerous on the young; a dark longitudinal stripe along lower sides between pectoral and pelvic fins; dorsal fin dark with narrow purple edge (rows of reddish to orange or purple to green spots on body of fin); pelvic fins dark with irregular diagonal orange-yellow stripes; adipose, dorsal, anal, caudal and pectorals dusky to dark (Ref. 27547).

Arctic grayling occur in both North America and Siberia. As the name implies, in North America this coldwater species ranges in a broad band from the west coast of Hudson Bay to Alaska. They are absent from the Arctic Archipelago but, historically, isolated populations occurred in upper Michigan and in the upper Missouri system in Montana. Arctic grayling appear to be especially vulnerable to over-fishing and habitat changes. At one time they were the most abundant recreational fish in the upper Peace system; however, since the formation of the Williston Reservoir they have dramatically declined in this region. After the fact, we have learned more about their life history and, especially, about the importance of large, valley-bottom rivers as over-wintering sites. Elsewhere in northern B.C., wherever road access allows anglers into grayling waters, grayling appear to be in decline. Current management practices are designed to stop these declines but it is too early to know whether they are working.

North America: widespread in Arctic drainages from Hudson Bay, Canada to Alaska and in Arctic and Pacific drainages to central Alberta and British Columbia in Canada; upper Missouri River drainage in Montana, USA. Formerly in Great Lakes basin in Michigan, USA. Asia: Siberia, Russia (Ref. 3221).