Animal Profiles
Fish

Salmon

Salmonidae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Salmon include several fishes with different life histories. This account describes Atlantic salmon, which typically grows in the sea after a freshwater youth and returns to rivers for reproduction.

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at the Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery.

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at the Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery.

At a glance

Location
Salmo salar is the representative used here. North Atlantic marine waters connect with river habitats in Europe and North America. Some populations remain in fresh water rather than completing the usual sea migration.
Habitat
Rivers and lakes, Coast, Open ocean
Diet
Carnivore
Food
Young fish eat aquatic insects, while marine adults take crustaceans and fishes.

Classification

Common name
Salmon
Browse group
Fish
Scientific name or taxon
Salmonidae
Taxon rank
family
Order
Salmoniformes
Family
Salmonidae
Source classification
Actinopterygii

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Young fish grow in fresh water.
  • Females prepare gravel nests.
  • Some adults can spawn more than once.

Habitat and range

Salmo salar is the representative used here. North Atlantic marine waters connect with river habitats in Europe and North America. Some populations remain in fresh water rather than completing the usual sea migration.

Appearance and adaptations

Young river fish carry darker markings that differ from the silvery marine phase. Breeding males can develop a hooked lower jaw. Appearance therefore changes substantially through the life cycle.

Diet and behaviour

Young fish eat aquatic insects, while marine adults take crustaceans and fishes. Females prepare gravel nests for eggs. Unlike a universal rule sometimes applied to salmon, some Atlantic salmon survive to reproduce again.

Sources

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