Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon have a long, thin body, small head, blunt nose and their mouth extends back below the eye. Adult salmon are silver in colour with nearly all white undersides and distinct dark blue-green, cross-like spots over the body and head. Atlantic salmon in Newfoundland and Labrador are generally less than 70 cm (28 inches) in length and weigh less than 4.5 kg (10 pounds). Atlantic salmon are a distant relative of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) and closely related to Brown trout (Salmo trutta).
Atlantic salmon can be found throughout the North Atlantic Ocean. In North America, their range extends from the northeastern United States (Maine) to northern Quebec (Ungava Bay). Atlantic salmon are commonly found in rivers throughout the island of Newfoundland and southern Labrador. Atlantic salmon also breed in the rivers of Western Europe from northern Portugal north to Norway, Iceland, and Greenland.
Atlantic salmon are a cold water migratory species that require different habitats for each life stage. They are born in freshwater, migrate to sea to feed and grow, and return to freshwater to reproduce or ‘spawn’. The term anadromous refers to this type of migratory behavior. While at sea, salmon remain in coastal areas or travel 2,500 km across the Labrador Sea to Greenland. Atlantic salmon returning to freshwater have an incredible ‘homing instinct’ that guides them back to the river where they were born.
In freshwater, Atlantic salmon require clear, cold, fast moving water with a gravel bottom for spawning and rocky areas for juvenile fish. Salmon are often found in pools that offer protection from predators and warm temperatures and where water flow conditions enable them to rest.
Identification:
- Mouth: upper jaw does not extend past eye
- Tail: rarely any spots on the tail fin
- Distinguishing Features: large black spots on the gill covers and back, large scales, no red stripe along the lateral line
- Age at maturity: 1-3 years
- Freshwater markings: bronze or reddish with dark spots
- Flesh colour: reddish-orange or pink
- Size: 2-25kg
