A - Z List of Species

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Description

Slender, streamlined fish which can grow quite large. Sea trout can be mistaken for salmon but salmon look longer, sleeker and have a slightly forked tail with more pointed ends.

Behaviour

The Atlantic salmon is referred to as being anadromous because of its habit of migrating from the sea into freshwaters to spawn. This is the exact opposite of the common eel which leaves freshwaters to spawn in the Sargasso Sea, and is therefore called catadromous.

Size

Size varies considerably according to age. Females tend to be smaller than males. The average length of an adult salmon is anywhere from 50-100 cm with a weight range between 2-10 kg, although some grow to much greater sizes.

Where to see them

Montrose Basin, Spey Bay, Tummel Shingle Islands. Also, more reliably, places such as Loch Faskally dam and fish ladder at Pitlochry.

When to see them

Most visible when travelling up river to spawn. This occurs during November and December in Britain and Ireland but may extend from October until late February in our larger rivers.

Status

UK BAP Priority Species

Distribution

Limited to the waters of countries bordering on the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea.

Fascinating facts

There is only one species of Atlantic salmon: Salmo salar. There are six species of Pacific salmon: pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), chum (O.keta), chinook (O.tschawytscha), coho (O.kisutch), sockeye (O.nerka) and masou (O.masou).