Fish that hatch in rivers, go to sea to grow, then return to fresh water to spawn, usually in the stream where they hatched. The Atlantic salmon lives in the North Atlantic, and six Pacific species in the North Pacific.
Quick answers
What is it?Fish
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
Wild salmon aren’t domesticated, but salmon are intensively farmed. Norway is the largest producer, followed by Chile.
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
An important food fish, farmed heavily; Norway is the biggest producer, then Chile.
At a glance
Found inOceans, Rivers
HabitatRivers & lakes, Open ocean, Coast
ColoursSilver, Pink
SizeMedium
Weight2.3–36 kg (Atlantic salmon)
LegsNone
Covered inScales
Lives ingroups
Lives for3–8 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Rivers and seas of the North Atlantic and North Pacific; introduced to the Great Lakes, Patagonia and New Zealand.
Did you know
Navigates back to its home river largely by smell.
Pacific and Atlantic salmon split 10 to 20 million years ago, long before the ice ages.
Often confused with
- Trout
Trout and salmon are close relatives in the same family, with similar migrations; most trout stay in fresh water.
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