Grayling

Names in dialect: temol, temel.

Grayling are similar to European Whitefish, differing in the fact that their striking first dorsal fin is longer and higher, grey in colour and speckled with black dots, with reddish and violet hues, which become more noticeable in the males during the reproductive period. The body is covered with medium-sized scales arranged longitudinally; the back and sides are silvery in colour, often with yellowish hues; and there is a smattering of small dark spots on the front of the body. The head is pointed and small, as is the mouth, which has teeth and a slightly longer upper jaw. During the mating period, males take on a darker colouring. They can exceed 50 cm in length and one kilogramme in weight.
Grayling live in watercourses with swift currents and gravelly or stony bottoms, where the water is highly oxygenated and temperatures remain below 18-20°C. They are gregarious in nature: shoals slowly swim up against currents in search of food, every now and then let the currents carry them downstream. They feed on benthic invertebrates (especially insects and crustaceans) and winged insects landing on the water’s surface.
They reach sexual maturity at the age of three and spawning takes place between February and April. The eggs, 2-3 mm in diameter, are laid in nests hollowed out of the gravel, in shallow waters. Each female deposits a few thousand eggs.
Grayling are a good food fish and highly valued as a game fish.