Which is Salmon Fish ?

The salmon must swim hundreds miles, to get back to the stream where they hatched. Whilst many simply do not have enough fat stores to make the trip, others must battle through fishermen’s nets, over power dams, up waterfalls and rapids, and struggle past eagles, otters and bears to reach their destination.

Salmon travels thousands of miles and climbs 7.000 feet upstream until it reaches spawning areas.

43 million fish were placed into sea farms in Scotland in 2016, and in the same year 35 million were slaughtered for consumption

Salmon are rich in essential vitamens and can decrease the risk of coronary disease and certain cancers.

Salmons rely on the sense of smell, ocean currents and moon to find waters where they were born.

Salmons change the color of the body on their way from the ocean to the freshwater habitats during the mating season. They may also grow a hump, develop canine-like teeth, or develop a kype (a pronounced curvature of the jaws in male salmon).

It is easy to get lost in these large figures, but it is important to remember that every fish in the salmon farming industry is an individual, capable of feeling pain.

There are 6 species of Pacific Salmon and only 1 Atlantic species.

Most salmons will die as a result of exhaustion after spawning. Small percent of survived salmons will spawn few more time in their lifetime.

Salmon spend between 1 and 7 years out in the ocean, depending on the species.

, salmon have personalities. Evidence of personality (consistent differences in behaviour) is ubiquitous across fish species, including sticklebacks and guppies.

Female prepares nest (called redd) in the gravel using her tail. She lays around 5000 eggs per nest.

They come back to the stream where they were ‘born’ because they ‘know’ it is a good place to spawn; they won’t waste time looking for a stream with good habitat and other salmon.

Salmon are called "FRY" when emerging from their eggs.

Evidence for personality in Atlantic salmon has been shown by researchers who found that individual salmon differed in their avoidance behaviour.

Once eggs are covered with sperm, female closes the nest with gravel and moves to another location to repeat the process. Female produces up to 7 redds during spawning.

Scientists believe that salmon navigate by using the earth’s magnetic field like a compass. When they find the river they came from, they start using smell to find their way back to their home stream. They build their ‘smell memory-bank’ when they start migrating to the ocean as young fish.

Individual salmon have been shown to differ in the spot patterns on their gill coverings.

Salmon have an average of 2500 eggs, but can have up to 7000.

Unlike Pacific salmon, Atlantic salmon do not die after spawning, so adults can repeat the migration and spawning pattern several times, although most spawn only once or twice.

Newly hatched salmons are called alevin or sac fry. They stay in fresh water from 6 months to 3 years, until they become strong enough to swim to the ocean

Researchers have shown that their patterns are so unique that it is possible for humans to distinguish between individuals.

The largest salmon caught is 126 lbs.

Salmon eggs are laid in freshwater streams typically at high latitudes. The eggs hatch into alevin or sac fry. The fry quickly develop into parr with camouflaging vertical stripes. The parr stay for six months to three years in their natal stream before becoming smolts. Only 10% of all salmon eggs are estimated to survive to this stage. The smolt body chemistry changes, allowing them to live in salt water.

Young salmons live in beaver ponds which provide shelter against predators.