Coomsaharn char

Coomsaharn char
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Salmoniformes
Family:	Salmonidae
Genus:	Salvelinus
Species:	S. fimbriatus
Binomial name
Salvelinus fimbriatus Regan, 1908 [2]

The Coomsaharn char (Salvelinus fimbriatus; the spellings Coomasaharn and charr are also used; Irish : ruabhreac Chom Sathairn) is a species of lacustrine char fish in the family Salmonidae. ^[3]

It is only located in Lough Coomsaharn, County Kerry, Ireland. ^{[4] [5]}

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Location of Lough Coomsaharn in Ireland

Taxonomy

Name

The English word "char[r]" is thought to derive from Old Irish ceara/cera meaning "[blood] red", ^[6] referring to its pink-red underside. ^{[7] [8]} This would also connect with its Welsh name torgoch, "red belly". ^[9]

It is believed that Lough Coomsaharn ( /ˌkuːməˈsæhərən/ ) may derive its name from the Irish Com Sathairn, "hollow of Saturday(?)" in reference to the mass rock on the lakes northern flank. However, it has been argued that the name derives from Ancient Irish meaning "lost in time", this is backed by the rock art found nearby which provides a glimpse of early human settlement in the area (circa 4000-5000 years ago). ^[10]

Biology

Salvelinus fimbriatus spawns in November/December and feeds on zooplankton. It is distinguished from other Salvelinus in Ireland by large eyes, ^[11] having 27–30 gill rakers, with 16–20 on the lower part (hence the species name fimbriatus, "fringed"). ^[12] Also, its body depth is 20–25% of snout length, the snout is conical, and the lower jaw is not included in the upper one; an adaptation that helps it to feed on plankton. ^[13]

History

The Coomsaharn char are a remnant fish of the Last Ice Age. ^[14]

References

1. Freyhof, J.; Kottelat, M. (2008). "Salvelinus fimbriatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008: e.T135411A4125761. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135411A4125761.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Salvelinus fimbriatus Regan, 1908". www.marinespecies.org.
3. Stendall, J. A. Sidney; Kertland, Mary P. H. (27 February 1961). "The Irish Naturalists' Journal". I.N.J. Committee. – via Google Books.
4. Academy, Royal Irish (27 February 2018). "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Mathematical and physical sciences" – via Google Books.
5. Hendroff, Adrian (30 March 2015). Killarney to Valentia Island – The Iveragh Peninsula: A Walking Guide. The Collins Press. ISBN   9781848895522 – via Google Books.
6. "eDIL - Irish Language Dictionary". edil.qub.ac.uk.
7. Skeat, Walter W. (15 February 2013). An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Courier Corporation. ISBN   9780486317656 – via Google Books.
8. Various. Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D). Library of Alexandria. ISBN   9781465562883 – via Google Books.
9. Weekley, Ernest (5 March 2013). An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English. Courier Corporation. ISBN   9780486122878 – via Google Books.
10. "Com Sathairn/Coomasaharn". Logainm.ie.
11. MacMahon, Alexander Francis Magri (27 February 2018). "Fishlore: British Freshwater Fishes". Penguin Books – via Google Books.
12. Cullen, P.; McCarthy, T. K.; Doherty, D. (2007). "The Coomasaharn char, a morphometrically highly specialised form of Salvelinus alpinus in Ireland". Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 16: 41–46. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0633.2006.00163.x .
13. Cullen, P; Mccarthy, T; Doherty, D (1 March 2007). "The Coomasaharn char, a morphometrically highly specialised form of Salvelinus alpinus in Ireland". Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 16: 41–46. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0633.2006.00163.x – via ResearchGate.
14. "Ireland - Lake Coomasaharn".

51°59′32″N9°59′48″W / 51.992106°N 9.996643°W / 51.992106; -9.996643