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Atlantic Salmon
World
Record
~ 79 Lbs 2 oz. Caught in the Tana River, Norway
in 1928 by Henrik Henriksen
Scientific
name
~ Salmo Salar
Other
names
~ Grilse, Grilt, fiddler, Sea run fish, Kennebec Salmon, Laks, lohi
Identification
~ An Atlantic Salmon has a head that seems small for its body. The
Atlantic Salmon Has a long, slim body with an almost square tail. In the
ocean the Atlantic Salmon is dark blue along the top of its head and
back. Their sides are a shiny silver with the belly being white. The
fins are dark and there numerous black marks on its head and along its
upper body. When it enters the river to spawn it turns a dull brown or
yellowish.
Size
~ The Atlantic Salmon is the second largest of
all salmon and can live for 8 years. Most salmon caught by
anglers are 20 Lbs or less with the occasional fish being over 30 Lbs.
The world record was just over 79 Lbs.
Habitat
~ The Atlantic Salmon is found in the Atlantic ocean's northern
hemisphere and its tributaries. They spend most of their adult lives in
the ocean, retu
rning to freshwater streams and rivers only to spawn. Recently there has
been the occasional Atlantic Salmon caught in the Pacific North West.
These are escaped Salmon from the ocean pens in the fish farms.
Feeding
Habits
~ The Atlantic Salmon feeds on smaller fish such as smelt, herring,
alewives, capelin, cod, and mackerel. They also feed on crustaceans
Most
Atlantic Salmon caught by sport fishermen are caught in their spawning
rivers and streams or in the ocean close to shore as they approach their
spawning grounds.
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