Char


 * Not to be confused with the Large char.

The Char (オオイワナ, Ooiwana) is a rare member of the salmon family. It can be found by the waterfall at different times of the year and at different times of the day, between 4am to 9am and 4pm to 9pm from March to June, and 4am to 9pm from September to November. Its shadow size is between small-medium, about the same size as Crucian Carp and Rainbow Trout. It can be sold for 3,800 bells. The fish is called the Large Char, but the 'Fish' window states otherwise. In the 'Bugs and Fish' window in City Folk, it says "Popular among mountain-stream fisherfolk, these can thrive in cold water."

In City Folk
Upon donating it to the museum, Blathers will say the following:

"Char are certainly not named for the method people use to cook them. That would be rather daft... Since they aren't the best of swimmers, they often take refuge from rushing waters in rock crevices... When feeding, they merely stick their faces into the rushing water and let food fly in, wot wot? No one's sure if it's lazy or brilliant...but it certainly is quite hard to dislike!"

The Char appears in the middle, left tank of the aquarium.

In New Leaf
Upon donation to the museum, the information board in front of the tank that houses the Char says the following:

"Char are related to salmon and live in rivers upstream, not generally migrating to the ocean. They prefer colder water and dwell in secluded, clear rivers deep in mountain ranges. Since they tend to hid mostly in between rocks in these cold areas, they can be rather difficult to spot."

In New Horizons
When asked about the fish, Blathers will say the following:

"The char is one of the bigger fish around and, in the world of fish, that's quite an accomplishment! They are territorial predators, and therefore must constantly defend their 'turf' from others. So when you see a large char like this one, it is likely a skilled fighter and veteran of many battles. My feathers! I hope it never has cause to go to battle with me! "

The Char can be found in the righthand waterfall tank in the freshwater fish room.

Further information
The Salvelinus alpinus or arctic char is closely related to the salmon and trout, sharing characteristics from both. It is native to arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes. No other freshwater fish can be found as far north as this fish. It is a rare fish in Britain, only found in glacial lakes but can be the only fish to be found in lakes around the Canada Arctic. In Scandinavia, it is extremely common and fished extensively. The color of the fish varies between pale pink and bright red. It is an alternative fishing solution to Rainbow Trout for a farming fish because it uses very little resources. Char feed mainly on insects, but can feed on fish and small crustaceans. It is a small Large Char, species-wise.