🐟 All About the Atlantic Salmon
The mighty fish that swims from river to sea and back again! 🌊🏞️🔁
📖 Quick Overview
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Animal Name | Atlantic Salmon |
| Habitat | Rivers and the North Atlantic Ocean |
| Food | Insects (juveniles), fish, squid, and crustaceans (adults) |
| Group Name | Run or School |
| Baby Name | Fry (young), Parr, then Smolt |
| Special Skill | Swims thousands of miles and leaps up waterfalls! |
| Danger Level | Vulnerable 🟠 |
🌟 What Is an Atlantic Salmon?
The Atlantic Salmon is a super swimmer that starts life in freshwater, grows up in the open ocean, and then swims all the way back to its home river to lay eggs!
They have:
- Silvery-blue scales
- Streamlined bodies for fast swimming
- Strong tails to leap over waterfalls
- A built-in GPS (they remember the smell of their home river!)
📍 Where Do Atlantic Salmon Live?
They’re found in both freshwater rivers and the cold North Atlantic Ocean.
🗺️ Places They Migrate Between:
- Born in rivers of Canada, U.S. (Maine), Iceland, Norway, Scotland, and Russia
- Grow up in the North Atlantic Ocean
- Return to their birth river to spawn
🌊 Habitat:
- Freshwater rivers (for hatching and spawning)
- Open ocean (for most of adult life)
🍽️ What Do Atlantic Salmon Eat?
They eat different foods at different stages of life!
🐣 Young salmon (fry and parr):
- Aquatic insects
- Zooplankton
🐟 Adult salmon:
- Small fish (like herring)
- Squid
- Shrimp and other crustaceans
👨👩👧👦 Family and Groups
Salmon don’t stay with their parents, but they travel in groups called runs during migrations.
👶 Baby Salmon Names:
- Fry (just hatched)
- Parr (young with stripes)
- Smolt (ready to head to sea)
Adults return to the exact river where they were born to lay eggs—some even return to the very same spot!
💪 Super Salmon Skills
- Swim thousands of miles across the ocean
- Leap up waterfalls and rapids during migration
- Can live in both fresh and saltwater
- Use scent to navigate back to their birth river
- Some can weigh up to 30 pounds (14 kg)!
💡 Fun Facts About Atlantic Salmon
- They can jump up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) high
- Atlantic salmon may live up to 13 years
- They turn brighter and redder when it’s time to spawn
- Unlike Pacific salmon, some Atlantic salmon can survive spawning and return again!
- They are born in rivers but grow up in the ocean
🛑 Are Atlantic Salmon in Danger?
Yes. They are listed as vulnerable due to:
- Dams blocking their migration
- Pollution in rivers and oceans
- Overfishing and climate change
- Competition from farmed salmon and invasive species
💚 How Can We Help?
- Support clean river and ocean projects
- Avoid products from unsustainable salmon farms
- Learn and share how amazing wild salmon are!
- Help groups that build fish ladders and restore habitats
✏️ Activity: Make a Salmon Migration Map!
🎨 Grab paper, markers, and stickers to:
- Draw a river leading to the ocean
- Add salmon at each stage: egg, fry, parr, smolt, adult
- Show them leaping waterfalls and swimming home!
✅ Summary
| 🗂️ Category | 🐟 Atlantic Salmon |
|---|---|
| Type | Fish (Anadromous species) |
| Diet | Carnivore (insects, fish, squid) |
| Habitat | Freshwater rivers and the Atlantic Ocean |
| Group | Run or School |
| Special Skill | Ocean-to-river migration and waterfall jumping |
| Danger Level | Vulnerable 🟠 |