Diet

What does the Atlantic Salmon eat?

The Atlantic salmon is a carnivore. They feed on small fish and invertebrates.

Learn more about the Atlantic Salmon in this video from NOAA on YouTube

Range

Where do you find the Atlantic Salmon?

As their name suggests these animals ae primarily found in the waters of the Atlantic ocean.

Introductions of the species have occurred for farming purposes in the following countries – Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina.

Habitat

Where can the Atlantic Salmon survive?

As adults Atlantic salmon are found in oceans where they will move widely while searching out food. They are primarily found in cold water environments and show little tolerance for high temperatures.

Some subpopulations of this species are landlocked and never see the ocean. Instead the oceanic portion of their lifecycle is spent in a large lake.

Juveniles begin their life in clear rivers where the adults have travelled briefly to lay their eggs. They require these rivers to be large with gravel bottoms and cool temperatures.

Credit: Nicolás from seno de reloncaví, Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Reproduction

How does the Atlantic Salmon produce its young?

The Atlantic salmon will make its way from the sea in to rivers to lay their eggs. Adults return to the same river where they hatched to lay their eggs. To reach the upper portions of the river where they breed they are able to leap over most obstacles in their way. On their journey they rarely feed.

Females will deposit their eggs in hollows in the gravel with a male laying next to her and fertilizing the eggs. While the female is laying her eggs he will drive away any other males which come close. They will repeat this process multiple times over the course of a week.

Their eggs are colored a pale orange color. Each female can deposit up to 7,500 eggs.

Unlike most salmon which only survive for one breeding season this species may return to the ocean and rest for one to two years before breeding again.

Young hatch around April but remain buried in the gravel till their yolk sac is absorbed which may take another month.

Soon after hatching the young begin to hunt for small invertebrates.

They will spend their first year of life in the rivers before moving out to the sea.

Adults first breed at between three and four years old.

Young are known as fry or alevins.

Behavior

What does the Atlantic Salmon do during its day?

While they are young the Atlantic salmon will live in schools with other fry for protection. They may continue to live in loose aggregations as adults.

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Predators and Threats

What stops the Atlantic Salmon from surviving and thriving?

Large farming operations exist to supply the trade in Atlantic salmon. Within the waters of the United States the species is protect by law and taking of it is prohibited.

A looming threat to this species is climate change. As rivers begin to warm they will become unsuitable for the laying of eggs causing the decline of entire subpopulations.

These fish are regularly targeted by recreational fishers.

Quick facts

They are also known as the landlocked salmon, sea run salmon, black salmon or the fiddler.

Credit: Public Domain