[6][7] It is only found in Lough Melvin, Ireland;[8] numbers of fish are declining and the species is considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The describer, Albert Günther, named the fish after his longtime colleague John Edward Gray.

The English word "char[r]" is thought to derive from Old Irish ceara/cera meaning "[blood] red,"[9] referring to its pink-red underside.

Compared to other members of the Salvelinus genus, it has a deeper body that is more laterally compressed, a shorter caudal peduncle and larger scales.

[13] It can be distinguished from other char by the whitish spots on upper flank and caudal and dorsal fins.