296 Atlantic Salmon 



General Information: Spawns in July and August. Not 



common inshore. 



Economic Importance: None. 



Atlantic Salmon 

 Salmo salar Linnaeus 



Color: Back brown; sides silver; head and upper part of 

 body have numerous spots and crosses. 

 Distribution: Found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. 

 In the western Atlantic it occurs from northeastern Lab- 

 rador to New York. Now uncommon south of Cape Cod. 

 Size: May reach a weight of over 50 pounds. A 3-foot 

 specimen weighs 16-20 pounds. 



General Information: The Atlantic Salmon spends most 

 of its life at sea, but in spring it enters rivers and swims 

 upstream to fresh water to spawn. The fish are fat and 

 silvery when they enter the river. As they work upstream 

 they become thin and turn a dull red or brown color. 

 Large black spots appear on the body, and, in the male, 

 red and orange spots form and both jaws become very 

 elongated. In Maine, spawning occurs in October and 

 November. The female smooths out a shallow depression 

 in the sand or gravel and after the eggs are laid and fer- 

 tilized covers them with the bottom material. Many of 

 the adult fish die after spawning. Those that survive may 

 drop back to sea after spawning or stay in the river 

 throughout the winter and go back to sea the following 

 spring. 



The young fish, known as "parr," live in the fresh 

 waters of the river for 2-3 years. Eventually they go down- 

 stream to salt water, usually from late spring to autumn. 



