Salvelinus willoughbii
CR

Salvelinus willoughbii

Local name: Willoughby’s Charr

DecliningENEUENEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvelinus_willughbii

Overview

Salvelinus willughbii, also known as the Windermere charr or Willoughby's charr, is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae. Its binomial species name commemorates Francis Willughby. They are remnants from the end of the last ice age, landlocked and isolated in various lakes within Cumbria, England.

S. willughbii is a subspecies of Arctic charr that inhabit Lake Windermere, Coniston Water, Wast Water, Ennerdale Water, Buttermere, Crummock Water, and Loweswater in The Lake District of Cumbria, England. The species has been listed on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered due to increased water temperatures, decreased levels of oxygen and overfishing within Lake Windermere.

Salvelinus willoughbii faces severe threats from habitat degradation and water quality deterioration in its limited alpine lake systems. The species is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts that alter water temperature and oxygen levels in its high-altitude freshwater habitats. Introduced non-native fish species pose additional competitive pressure, while the species' extremely restricted range makes any local disturbance potentially catastrophic for the entire population.

Threat summary

Habitat

This critically endangered char inhabits cold, oligotrophic alpine lakes and associated tributaries at high elevations. The species requires pristine freshwater environments with specific temperature and oxygen conditions typical of montane lake ecosystems.

Marine oceanic· majorWetlands (inland)· majorWetlands (inland) - Permanent rivers/streams· majorWetlands (inland) - Permanent freshwater lakes· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recoveryAwareness & communications

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Willoughby’s Charr classified as Critically Endangered?
Willoughby’s Charr is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Salvelinus willoughbii faces severe threats from habitat degradation and water quality deterioration in its limited alpine lake systems. The species is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts that alter water temperature and oxygen levels in its high-altitude freshwater habitats. Introduced non-native fish species pose additional competitive pressure, while the species' extremely restricted range makes any local disturbance potentially catastrophic for the entire population.
Where does Willoughby’s Charr live?
Willoughby’s Charr occurs in United Kingdom. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Willoughby’s Charr?
The main threats to Willoughby’s Charr are 11.1, 11.4, 2.1, and 8.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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