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Atlantic Salmon

Salmo salar

Known as "the king of fish," the Atlantic salmon is one of the world's most iconic and valuable fish. Born in freshwater streams, they migrate thousands of miles to feed in the North Atlantic Ocean before returning to their birth rivers to spawn — a remarkable feat of navigation and endurance. Highly prized by anglers and as a food fish, Atlantic salmon face significant conservation challenges.

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Typical Size
24–50 inches (60–127 cm)
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Weight
8–20 lbs (3.6–9 kg) typical; can exceed 100 lbs (45 kg) in rare cases
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Lifespan
3–8 years; some survive to spawn multiple times
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Water Type
Fresh & Salt

🗺️ Habitat

Born in cold freshwater rivers, migrates to the North Atlantic Ocean to feed, then returns to freshwater to spawn. Found along both sides of the North Atlantic.

🔍 How to Identify Atlantic Salmon

  • 1Silver body with black spots, primarily above the lateral line (unlike sea trout)
  • 2X-shaped or + shaped spots on the body
  • 3Tail has a slight fork (compared to trout)
  • 4After spawning, becomes dark and hook-jawed (male "kype")
  • 5Distinguished from brown trout by fewer, more scattered spots

🍽️ Diet

In freshwater: aquatic and terrestrial insects. In the ocean: crustaceans, small fish (herring, capelin, sand lance).

💡 Fun Facts About Atlantic Salmon

  • ★Atlantic salmon can navigate back to their exact birth stream using magnetic fields and smell
  • ★Unlike Pacific salmon, Atlantic salmon can survive spawning and return to the ocean to feed again
  • ★A salmon's age can be read from its scales like tree rings
  • ★Wild Atlantic salmon populations have declined by over 50% in recent decades
  • ★Scotland's rivers have hosted Atlantic salmon fishing for over 500 years

🛡️ Conservation Status

Least Concern globally, but many specific river populations are critically endangered

🔗 Related Species

Rainbow TroutBrown TroutChinook Salmon

Identify Atlantic Salmon Instantly with AI

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Learn more:

How to Identify Fish: A Beginner's GuideMost Common Freshwater Fish in North America← Back to All Fish Species