| Salmon (Salmo salar) |
Click image to enlarge
"Atlantic Salmon" from a
painting by David Miller |
Features: |
Mature Salmon
are recognised by their silver body and the small adipose
fin characteristic of the salmon family. Male salmon at spawning
time can be distinguished from females by their distinctive
hook shaped lower jaw. The maxillary bone in salmon does not
extend beyond the eye. |
| Spawning: |
Spawning takes
place in freshwater in gravely areas of rivers and streams
from November to January. |
| Fecundity: |
The average adult
salmon lays between 3,000 - 12,000 eggs. |
| Longevity
(age): |
Salmon spend
between one and four years in freshwater before migrating
to sea, for one or two years. Irish Salmon are known to travel
to the coast of Greenland and to the Faroe Islands to feed.
|
| Diet: |
Juvenile salmon
feed on insects, crustaceans and benthic invertebrates, while
adult salmon feed only at sea on a diet of small fish, sandeels,
sprat, krill and other pelagic organisms. |
| Specimen
Weight: |
9 kgs (20lbs) |
| |
|
|
| Back
To Main Species page |
|
|
