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GRAYLING (Thymallus)

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Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 395 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GRAYLING (Thymallus) , fishes belonging to the See also:family Salmonidae. The best known are the " See also:poisson bleu " of the See also:Canadian voyageurs, and the See also:European See also:species, Thymallus vulgaris (the Asch or Asche of See also:Germany, See also:ombre of See also:France, and temola of Upper See also:Italy). This latter species is esteemed on See also:account of its agreeable See also:colours (especially of the dorsal fin), its well-flavoured flesh, and the See also:sport it affords to anglers. The grayling differ from the genus Salmo in the smaller mouth with comparatively feeble dentition, in the larger scales, and especially in the much greater development of the dorsal fin, which contains 20 to 24 rays. These beautiful fishes, of which five or six species are known, inhabit the fresh See also:waters of See also:Europe, See also:Siberia and the See also:northern parts of See also:North See also:America. The European species, T. vulgaris or vexillifer, attains, though rarely, a length of 2 ft. The colours during See also:life are remarkably changeable and iridescent; small dark spots are sometimes See also:present on the See also:body; the very high dorsal fin is beautifully marked with purplish bands and ocelli. In See also:England and See also:Scotland the grayling appears to have had originally a rather irregular See also:distribution, but it has now been introduced into a See also:great number of See also:rivers; it is not found in See also:Ireland. It is more generally distributed in Scandinavia and See also:Russia, and the See also:mountain streams of central Europe southwards to the Alpine See also:water of Upper Italy. Specimens attaining to a See also:weight of 4 lb are very scarce.

End of Article: GRAYLING (Thymallus)

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