Salmonidae

Atlantic salmon

Salmo salar

Returning from sea to its natal river

• Gray
• Silver
• Temperate
• Northern Hemisphere
• Regional distribution
• Freshwater fish
• Fusiform
• Large
• Temperate fish

Renowned as the king of cold northern waterways, the Atlantic salmon is a legendary anadromous salmonid capable of navigating thousands of oceanic miles to reproduce in its natal streams. In its oceanic feeding phase, it displays an elegant spindle-shaped silhouette characterized by a steel-blue or blue-green back shading into silvery flanks speckled with small, distinct X-shaped black spots above the lateral line. Unlike Pacific salmon species, which perish inevitably following spawning, the Atlantic salmon is iteroparous and capable of surviving reproduction to complete repeat ocean migrations. Native to river basins across the North Atlantic, its historical distribution spans from northern Spain through Great Britain and Scandinavia to eastern North America. Juveniles rear in cool upland gravel tributaries for up to four years before transforming into sea-ready smolts that migrate to subpolar pastures off Greenland to gorge on capelin, herring, and sand lances. Maturing adults return with extraordinary olfactory homing accuracy to deposit eggs in gravel redds. Maximum total length attains one hundred and fifty centimetres and over forty-five kilograms.

Sources: NOAA Fisheries — Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar