Similar to the whitefish, it differs in that its first dorsal fin is very developed both in length and height, grey in colour, covered with small black spots, with reddish and purple hues that are particularly evident in males during the reproductive period.
The body is covered with medium-sized scales arranged in longitudinal rows; the back and sides are silvery in color, often with yellowish highlights, dotted with small black spots on the anterior portion. The pointed head is small, as is the mouth, which is equipped with teeth and has an upper jaw slightly longer than the lower. During the breeding season, males take on a darker color. They can exceed 50 cm in length and weigh over a kilogram.
It inhabits large waterways with strong currents and gravel and pebble substrates, where the water is well-oxygenated and the temperature does not exceed 18-20°C. It is gregarious: the school slowly swims upstream in search of food, occasionally drifting downstream. It feeds on benthic invertebrates (primarily insects and crustaceans) and winged insects that land on the water's surface.
Sexual maturity is reached at three years of age. Reproduction occurs between February and April. The eggs, 2–3 mm in diameter, are laid in nests dug on gravel bottoms in shallow water. Each female lays several thousand eggs.
Grayling has good meat and is highly prized by sport fishermen.
Dialect: temol, temel .
G. TOMASI, 2004 - The Three Hundred Lakes of Trentino. Ed. Artimedia – Temi, Trento, 535 pp.
