Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fish species and information / pictures of Atlantic salmon - Salmo salar

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fish species information

Scientific Name
Salmo salar

Common Name
Atlantic salmon

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 3 - 4; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-15; Anal spines: 3 - 4; Anal soft rays: 7 - 11; Vertebrae: 58 - 61. Distinguished from congeners in Atlantic, North, White, Barents and Baltic Sea basins by having the following unique characters: 10-13 scales between end of adipose base and lateral line; 17-24 gill rakers. Additional characters distinguish salmon parrs from trout include: caudal fin deeply forked in individuals smaller than 20 cm SL; hyaline or grey adipose margin. Adult salmon differ uniquely from sea trout by having a posterior part of vomer toothless (Ref. 59043). Fusiform body (Ref. 51442). Mouth extends only to area below rear of eye and has well developed teeth (Ref. 51442). Vomerine teeth weak (Ref. 7251). Caudal fin with 19 rays (Ref. 2196). Little scales (Ref. 51442). Adults are blue-green colored with a silvery coating and a few spots in salt water; no spots under lateral line (Ref. 37032, Ref. 51442). During reproducti

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1758

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Salmons (Salmoniformes)

Family

Salmonids (Salmonidae)

Distribution

Region

Atlantic Ocean

Distribution

Atlantic Ocean: temperate and arctic zones in northern hemisphere (Ref. 51442). In western Atlantic Ocean distributed in coast drainages from northern Quebec in Canada to Connecticut in USA (Ref. 5723). Landlocked stocks are present in North America (Ref. 1998). Eastern Atlantic Ocean: Atlantic, North, White, Barents and Baltic Sea basins from Minho (Portugual, Spain) to Kara drainages (Kara Sea, Western Siberia). Present in Iceland and in northernmost rivers of Great Britain and Scandinavia. Landlocked populations known from souther Finland, Lakes Vanern (Sweden), Lagoda, Onega, some small lakes in Vyg and Kem drainages, White Sea basin (Russia) and from souther Norway. Main foraging areas along west coast of southern Greenland and north of Faroe Islands, Baltic populations do not leave this sea. Historical records from Duero, Tagus and Guadiana (Portugal, Spain) where now extirpated (Ref. 59043). Introduced to New Zealand, Chile, southern Argentina (Ref. 59043) and Austral

Range

72°N - 37°N, 77°W - 61°E

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

2 °C

Water Temperature To

9 °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

210 m

Zone

benthopelagic

Environment

Marine; freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; anadromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 210 m (Ref. 57178), usually ? - 10 m

Trophic Level

4.43 s.e. 0.06 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

150 cm

Common Length

38.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

Moderate to high vulnerability (55 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.29-0.76; tm=3-5; tmax=14; Fec=8,000)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Lower Risk: least concern (LR/lc)