European Grayling

Fascinating facts about the European Grayling

• A single European grayling can grow as long as a school ruler, up to 60 cm (24 in), and tip the scales at 6.7 kg (15 lb).
• Scientists have counted between five and eight sharp dorsal spines and three to four anal spines on each grayling, a key trait that separates it from its Arctic cousin which lacks any spines at all.
• Introduced to Morocco in 1948, the species never established a breeding population there.
• Listed in Appendix III of the Bern Convention, the grayling is now critically endangered in the Baltic Sea, a stark reminder that even a fish once called the ‘lady of the stream’ can vanish from its historic waters without protection.

At a glance

About the European Grayling

The European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) glides through cold, crystal-clear rivers with a sleek, torpedo-shaped body that can reach up to 60 cm (24 in) and weigh as much as 6.7 kg (15 lb). Its most striking feature is the fan-like dorsal fin, edged with iridescent hues that ripple like a living watercolor, setting it apart from its Arctic cousin by the presence of 5–8 dorsal and 3–4 anal spines and fewer soft rays. Though it favors swift, well-oxygenated streams, the grayling also inhabits lakes and, on rare occasions, the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea, where it has become critically endangered. An omnivore, it samples a buffet of vegetable matter, crustaceans, insects, spiders, molluscs, zooplankton, and even small fish such as Eurasian minnows, while itself falling prey to larger predators like the huchen (Hucho hucho).

More fish to discover

Browse Feravox