Thymallus
Thymallus Temporal range: Pleistocene to Present [1]
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Arctic grayling ( Thymallus arcticus )
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Salmoniformes |
Family: | Salmonidae |
Subfamily: | Thymallinae Gill, 1885 |
Genus: | Thymallus Linck, 1790 |
Type species | |
Thymallus thymallus | |
Species | |
See text |
Thymallus or graylings is a
Name
The name of the genus Thymallus first given to grayling (T. thymallus) described in the 1758 edition of Systema Naturae by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus originates from the faint smell of the herb thyme, which emanates from the flesh. Thymallus derives from the Greek θύμαλλος, "thyme smell".[2]
Species
According to FishBase, 14 species are placed in this genus.[3] However, views differ on their taxonomic rank.
- Thymallus arcticus (Pallas, 1776) - Arctic grayling
- Thymallus baicalensis Dybowski, 1874 - Baikal black grayling
- Thymallus brevipinnis Svetovidov (ru), 1931 - Baikal white grayling
- Kessler, 1879 - Mongolian grayling
- Thymallus burejensis Antonov, 2004 - Bureya grayling
- Thymallus flavomaculatus Knizhin, Antonov & Weiss, 2006 - yellow-spotted grayling
- Thymallus grubii Dybowski, 1869 - Amur grayling
- Thymallus mertensii Valenciennes, 1848 - Kamchatka grayling
- Thymallus nigrescens Dorogostaisky, 1923 - Kosogol grayling
- Thymallus pallasiiValenciennes, 1848 - East Siberian grayling
- Thymallus svetovidovi Knizhin & Weiss, 2009 - Upper Yenisei grayling
- Thymallus thymallus (Linnaeus, 1758) - European grayling (type species)
- Thymallus tugarinae Knizhin, Antonov, Safronov & Weiss, 2007 - Lower Amur grayling
- Thymallus yaluensis T. Mori, 1928 - Yalu grayling
Modern reviews[4][5] and the Catalog of Fishes[6] also list additional species including Thymallus nikolskyi Kaschenko, 1899, Thymallus baicalolenensis Matveyev et al., 2005 and Thymallus ligericus Persat et al, 2019. An old controversy exists over the status of Baikal black vs white graylings, T. baicalensis and T. brevipinnis. Modern research supports the view that they are not separate taxa, but alternative ecological forms of T. baicalensis.[7]
Distribution
The fishes of this genus are native to the northern parts of the Palearctic and Nearctic realms, ranging from the United Kingdom and northern Europe across Eurasia to Siberia, as well as northern North America. T. thymallus, the grayling, is widespread in Europe, and T. arcticus, the Arctic grayling, is widespread throughout Eurasia east of the Ural Mountains and in the Nearctic. The other species have more localized ranges in northern Asia.
Appearance
Thymallus species are distinguished from other members of the
The longest of the graylings is the Arctic grayling, T. arcticus, at a maximum length of 76 cm (30 in) and a maximum weight of 3.8 kg (8.4 lb). T. thymallus, while somewhat shorter - 60 cm (24 in) - may weigh significantly more, 6.7 kg (15 lb). The fishes of this genus may live for 18 years or more.
Ecology and reproduction
These fishes require cool, well-oxygenated water, preferably with a swift current; they are found in large, sandy- or gravel-bottomed rivers and lakes, but T. thymallus may occasionally be found in
The grayling species, typically for salmonids, spawn in rivers and do not guard their brood, although they do conceal their eggs in silt. The spawning behavior of the Arctic grayling may be typical for the genus Thymallus.[8]
As they are highly sensitive to changes in water quality, Thymallus fishes may be considered
Human use
Due to their agreeable taste and attractive form, the grayling species are valued as food and game fishes, and they are occasionally seen in
References
- ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- ^ Ingram, A.; Ibbotson, A.; Gallagher, M. "The Ecology and Management of the European Grayling Thymallus thymallus (Linnaeus)" (PDF). East Stoke, Wareham, U.K.: Institute of Freshwater Ecology. p. 3. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
- ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2015). Species of Thymallus in FishBase. May 2015 version.
- ^ Dyldin, Y. V.; L. Hanel; V. I. Romanov; J. Plesník (2017). "A review of the genus Thymallus (Pisces: Salmoniformes: Salmonidae: Thymallinae) with taxonomic notes". Bulletin Lampetra. VIII: 103–126.
- ^ Weiss, S. J., D. V. Gonçalves, G. Secci-Petretto, G. K. Englmaier, A. Gomes-Dos-Santos, G. P. J. Denys, H. Persat, A. Antonov, C. Hahn, E. B. Taylor and E. Froufe (2021) Global systematic diversity, range distributions, conservation and taxonomic assessments of graylings (Teleostei: Salmonidae; Thymallus spp.). Organisms Diversity & Evolution: [1-18]. (published online 25 Nov. 2020)
- ^ Eschmeyer F. [https://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences (1.3.2021 version)
- ^ Knizhin IB, Weiss SJ, Sushnik S (2006) Graylings of Baikal lake basin (Thymallus, Thymallidae): Diversity of forms and their taxonomic status. Journal of Ichthyology 46, 418-435.
- PMC 6892815. Retrieved 29 November 2023.