Salmon: description of fish, habitat, size, calorie content, lifestyle and fishing methods

Salmon is rightfully considered the queen of salmon, because its fillet is rich in vitamins and minerals. In addition, it contains polyunsaturated fats, which lower cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, catching this predatory fish can be difficult, because you need to know its habitat and the best fishing methods.

Salmon fish belongs to the large salmon family and has the scientific name Salmosalar. It belongs to the ray-finned fish and belongs to the genus “salmon”. Another name for this fish is Atlantic salmon, and this fish received the nickname “salmon” from the Pomors.

The main external features include:

Body having an elongated elongated shape.
The adipose fin is located very close to the body and is small in size. It is located behind the dorsal fin. The tail is characterized by a small notch.
The scales are of a medium type, having a rather dense arrangement. Approximately 120-130 pieces in the side line.
An abundance of pigment spots with a chaotic arrangement. They have an x-shaped appearance and are located mainly in the upper part of the fish's body. Usually spots decorate the gill covers.
The back has a bluish or greenish tint.
The belly of salmon is light in color.
The fish has a rather large mouth with a number of small but strong teeth. The development of males is characterized by the presence of a special hook after the onset of puberty. It is located in the lower jaw, and there is a corresponding depression in the upper jaw.
The sides of the fish usually have a flattened appearance and a silvery tint.

The young individual is characterized by a specific color: the dark body is crossed by spots. Their total number can reach 12 pieces. The appearance of salmon undergoes dramatic changes before spawning. The fish takes on a bronze tint, and the spots begin to turn red. It is at this time that the males’ jaw lengthens greatly and a kind of hook appears.

Types of salmon

Salmon size

The size of salmon under favorable conditions can reach one and a half meters. At the same time, the maximum recorded weight fluctuates around 50 kg. Since salmon is a predator, the fish reaches such sizes only if there is an abundant food supply, which is possible in salty waters. Consequently, lake salmon will have significantly smaller sizes, although there may be a fairly large scatter among them. So, in some places you can find specimens whose weight will not exceed 5 kg. And in other freshwater basins the largest individual will reach 9 kg.

Description of salmon

Salmon belongs to the large family of salmonids, which belongs to the ray-finned fishes and is adjacent to the genus salmon. In some reference books such a name as salmon does not appear at all; you can find a detailed description of the fish under the name “Atlantic salmon”.

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The main external characteristics of these individuals:

An elongated body with an elongated shape.
The adipose fin is small, located quite close to the body, behind the dorsal fin. There is a notch at the caudal fin.
The scales are dense; 120-130 scales can be counted on the lateral line.
Pigment spots are arranged in a chaotic manner and are located mainly in the upper part of the fish’s body.
The back is colored blue or green, and the belly looks lighter, the barrel is flattened and silvery.
The fish's mouth is huge and has medium-sized teeth.

During the research, it was found that there are two types of salmon: European and American.

The fish is not small in size, it can reach 1.5 m in length and weigh about 50 kg. It is a predator and lives only in salty waters, because fresh rivers do not have the necessary food supply. Therefore, salmon is a sea fish. There is a lake variety that is more modest in size. Adults reach a weight of 5-9 kg.

Biologists classify this fish as an anadromous species because it can live in fresh and salt waters. She spends most of her time at medium depths, no more than 120 m

Salmon spawning

Mature salmon go to spawn in September, and the end of the spawning period occurs in December. However, these terms are quite arbitrary, because the large geographical distribution makes its own adjustments during spawning.

Thus, salmon are divided into groups depending on the time of entry into river mouths:

spring;
winter;
ice cream

The first group is characterized by the full development of sexual characteristics. They usually enter the river ahead of time, around June-July, and spawn in the same season. The second type goes to fresh waters a year before the start of spawning. Moreover, they come to the upper reaches of rivers not yet fully mature. The final formation of the reproductive system occurs during the wintering period.

The last type are individuals that did not manage to rise to the mouth of the river before the arrival of winter. They await the onset of spring at depth in the estuarine areas. And with the arrival of warmth, they continue their journey to the upper reaches of the rivers. Usually, during wintering, some individuals manage to mature. Taking this into account, ice cream can be classified as both spring and winter groups.

The salmon goes to the upper reaches of the river and chooses a place with a surface that is sufficiently pliable for burying eggs. The female digs a hole in the ground up to 3 meters deep. To do this, she uses forceful movements of her tail to knock out the soil in a selected place. Then the female throws part of the eggs into the dug hole and waits for the male to arrive. The male fertilizes the eggs immediately after emergence. Next, the female lays out the remaining part of the eggs, which the male waters with milk. The female remains to cover the dug hole with soil.

The female is capable of laying up to 20 thousand eggs and forming many nests. All this greatly increases the chances of survival of the species. Cases of repeated spawning of salmon are extremely rare. However, a case was recorded when the fish went to spawn 5 times. Her age was 8 years. As a rule, in places of active fishing, repeated spawning is practically excluded.

There are two types of spawning grounds:

A cover that is short-term in nature. Differs in key nutrition and temperature up to 3 degrees.
A cover characterized by a stable character. As a rule, with this type the temperature drops to 0 degrees.

The first type of spawning ground is characterized by an early release of juveniles, but slower development. In the second case, the situation is exactly the opposite.

While spawning lasts, individuals hardly feed, using up the accumulated fat. Since the fish have to travel long distances and go against the flow of the river, they will often receive various injuries. During the spawning period, many individuals have injured fins and various cuts. In addition, they lose a lot of weight, so most die of starvation.

What does salmon look like?

It is easy to distinguish salmon from other representatives of the salmon family. She has an elastic, laterally compressed body, covered with medium-sized scales. The color of the scales can vary from light silver to dark blue. There are small round spots on the body. The mouth is framed by large bones. This trait appears in individuals upon reaching sexual maturity. During spawning, females can change color to bronze with purple spots appearing.

Salmon is one of the largest salmon. The length of the body sometimes reaches one and a half meters, and the weight is 40 kilograms. There are specimens on sale whose weight ranges from three to six kilograms.

The diet of the fish depends on its age . The fry feed on plankton. As they grow, small insects and crustaceans are added to the diet. Adults eat fish: herring, smelt, sprat, herring, capelin.

Like many other salmon, it goes to spawn in the rivers where it was born. As a rule, individuals are ready to give birth to offspring by 6 years. In September, schools of fish swim into the rivers and then rise upstream. Salmon chooses for spawning places with a slight current and rapids with a water temperature of 0-3 degrees. For this species, the presence of small pebbles at the bottom is important.

The female digs a hole in the pebbles and lays 6-20 thousand eggs, after which the male must fertilize them. On average, individuals stay at the spawning site for no more than 14 days. After this, schools of fish descend along the rivers. Some fish die before reaching the sea. Fish that return to the ocean no longer spawn.

The fry begin to appear only in February. They live in shallow water for up to 1 year. Then they begin to descend to the sea.

Salmon habitats

Salmon is found over a wide area: from the north of the Atlantic to the west of the Arctic Ocean. In European countries, the fish is found off the coast of England and Ireland or in the rivers of Spain and Portugal. In addition, the fish can be found on the American continent. The salmon's habitat extends to the Connecticut River and reaches the shores of Greenland. In the Russian Federation, the main fishing takes place on the shores of Murmansk, in the waters of the White and Barents Seas. Lake salmon species are found in Sweden, Finland, Russia and Norway.

Salmon lifestyle

Biologists classify Atlantic salmon as anadromous species that live in both fresh and salt waters. Salmon spends time in the oceans and seas until puberty, hunting for crustaceans and small fish. By actively feeding, the fish gains fat and goes through the main growth phase. Typically the increase in size is about 20-25 cm per year. The salmon's lifestyle takes place in coastal zones, with a depth not exceeding 120 meters. Having reached a period of maturity, Atlantic salmon head to the mouth of the river. To do this, they walk about 50 km every day.

In addition, there are dwarf species that constantly live in river water. They never go to sea and reach relatively small sizes. The growth of this species occurs much more slowly, so in several years they can grow only 20 cm. This is explained by the relatively poor nutrition and cold water in which the salmon constantly resides. All this greatly inhibits the full development of the individual. Lake forms of salmon also have smaller sizes. This species prefers to gain weight and hunt in lakes, and they go to the upper reaches of rivers only to spawn. In the Russian Federation they live in two lakes: Ladoga and Onega.

Salmon: description

Almost all salmon belong to the categories of fish that easily adapt to different living conditions and are capable of changing their appearance, as well as the tone of the main color, depending on the habitat.

Appearance

Adults of this family can grow in length from several centimeters to several meters and weigh up to 70 kilograms. The body shape of representatives of this order resembles the body shape of the “herring-shaped”. That is why, not so long ago, the “salmon” family was classified as a “herring” family. After some time, these fish began to represent an independent detachment.

Representatives of this order have a long body shape, which is laterally compressed. In this case, the body is covered with cycloid scales of a round or comb shape along the edges, which do not adhere firmly to the body. In the middle part of the belly there are multi-rayed pelvic fins, while the pectoral fins are low-set and do not have characteristic rays. There are 2 types of fins on the back: one of them is real dorsal, and the other is anal. A small adipose fin is the hallmark of this order of fish.

Interesting fact! The dorsal fin of the order “salmonidae” consists of 10-16 rays, which is considered a distinctive feature of these fish, compared to “graylings”, in which the dorsal fin consists of a larger number of rays.

The structure of the internal organs is such that the fish’s swim bladder is connected to the esophagus by a special channel. The structure of the mouth is such that it is bordered by four bones - one pair of premaxillary and one pair of maxillary. In females, the oviducts are characterized as rudimentary or absent at all. In this regard, the matured eggs in the ovaries simply fall out into the inner area of the belly. The structure of the intestine is distinguished by the presence of a large number of pyloric appendages. Many species of salmon have transparent eyelids. It should also be noted that in many varieties the skeletal part is not entirely composed of bones. Part of the skull consists of cartilaginous fibers and lateral processes that are not fused with the vertebrae.

Classification, types of salmon

The salmon family includes three subfamilies:

Three genera of "whitefishes".
Seven genera "salmonidae".
One genus is “grayling”.

Each genus representing a family is characterized by specific sizes, structural features of scales, as well as structural features of the mouth and teeth. Each representative of the genus either has a mixed diet or is a true predator.

The main types of salmon include:

American and Arctic char, kunja.
Pink salmon.
Ishkhana.
Ketu.
Coho salmon, Chinook salmon.
North American cristomere.
Brown trout.
Lenka.
Steelhead salmon and Clark salmon.
Sockeye salmon
Salmon or Noble salmon.
Simu or Mazu.
Danube and Sakhalin Taimen.

The subfamily "whitefish" has some differences from the "salmon" in some details regarding the structure of the skull, mouth, and the size of the scales. The grayling subfamily is characterized by the presence of a fairly long and high dorsal fin, which is presented in the form of a train with bright colors. All graylings are freshwater fish species.

Behavior and lifestyle

Salmon are classic migratory fish that, as a rule, permanently live in seas, lakes or oceans. They return to the rivers only to leave behind offspring. Despite some species differences, all “salmon” lead a similar lifestyle. Upon reaching sexual maturity, salmon head into the waters of fast, rapids rivers, rising hundreds of kilometers into the upper reaches. At the same time, the time of entry of fish into river waters does not have specific indicators, so they can stretch over certain periods of time.

Before spawning, salmon choose parking places in river waters that are shallow and not too fast, with a sandy-pebble or rocky bottom. Basically, such areas are located near spawning grounds, but always above rapids or rifts.

Interesting moment! While in sea waters, salmon moves at high speed, covering up to hundreds of kilometers per day. When entering rivers and rising against the current, its speed noticeably decreases.

Rising upstream, the fish begins to change. Their body color becomes darker, and a peculiar hook-shaped outgrowth forms on the jaw. This is especially true for male salmon. During this period, the color of the fish’s meat changes to paler, as the total mass of fat decreases. This is due to the fact that salmon nutrition becomes more scarce, and the fish expend quite a lot of energy.

Salmon season

Lifespan

According to experts, salmon live on average no more than 10 years, although some species can easily live up to 25 years. Taimen are considered to be truly long-livers. In addition, this species of salmon is a record holder for its size, reaching a length of about 2 and a half meters and gaining a weight of more than 100 kilograms.

Natural habitats

The natural habitat of salmon is associated with the entire northern part of our planet. At the same time, humans show a very active commercial interest in this family.

The waters of Lake Sevan are home to the very valuable and delicious fish Ishkhan. Chum salmon live within the Pacific Ocean and its large-scale fishing is widespread among various states included in the Pacific Ocean basin.

Trout lives in many rivers in Europe, as well as in the basins of such seas as the White, Baltic, Black and Aral. The Mazu or Sima fish prefers to live in the Asian part of the Pacific Ocean, and a fairly large genus of Taimen is found in almost all rivers of Siberia.

What do salmon eat?

The salmon family is distinguished by the fact that they have a very diverse diet, which consists of various small pelagic fish, as well as fry, crustaceans, pteropods, pelagic mollusks, juvenile squid and a variety of worms. Although rare, their diet includes small ctenophores and even jellyfish.

In the first stages of their lives, the younger generation of salmon feeds on the larvae of various insects living in the water. Some of the species at this stage eat, along with other types of predatory fish, various types of small fish. It should be noted that the diet of salmon often changes due to the current situation related to the time of year and habitat conditions.

Reproduction and offspring

In the rivers of the northern cold regions, when the water temperature is between 0 and +8 degrees, the salmon breeding season begins in the second half of September or October. In warmer regions, spawning begins in October and lasts until the month of January, with established water temperatures of +3-13 degrees. To lay eggs, the female makes a depression in the bottom soil, after which the clutch is covered with the same bottom soil, which may consist of sand and pebbles.

Interesting to know! The beginning of salmon spawning is characterized by the fact that the fish have enough strength and energy to go against the current. At the initial stage, you can observe how the fish jumps high out of the water, as if playing. You won’t see all this when an exhausted fish, exhausted with all its strength, reaches the spawning site.

After spawning, the fish becomes quite thin and weak, so many individuals die. Those who managed to survive fall downstream into the seas or lakes. Some of them remain in the rivers until spring.

Those individuals that prefer to stay in rivers for the winter move to deeper water areas where there is no strong current. Only in spring do salmon fry emerge from the eggs, which in appearance resemble pied trout. Once born, juveniles can stay in the river for up to 5 years.

During this period of time, the juveniles grow in length up to 15-20 cm. During this period, the fry lose their characteristic speckled coloring, and the scales become silvery-white. After entering the seas, lakes and oceans, salmon begin to actively feed and quickly gain weight.

Natural enemies

Both the eggs and the hatchlings are absolutely defenseless against predatory fish such as grayling, brown trout, pike, burbot, etc., in addition, the eggs are very actively eaten by sea gulls and other birds of prey. For those who managed to get out into the open sea, other predatory fish such as sea hare, cod, sockeye salmon, etc. await.

Bears catch salmon going to spawn

Population and species status

There are several critical factors that negatively affect the numbers of the salmon family. Particularly worthy of critical attention are poachers who, as a result of fishing at spawning grounds, destroy entire populations of salmon. Scientists have found that the actions of poachers can significantly undermine the entire reproduction process of this fish. At the same time, even large rivers are deprived of a large number of salmon for several years.

Other unfavorable conditions include various warm sea and ocean currents, lack of food, as well as uncontrolled fishing, all against the backdrop of industrial pollution of river beds. Due to the presence of a number of negative factors, the following species of salmon are included in the Red Book: Sakhalin, Common Taimen, Ozerny salmon, Mikizha, Smallmouth palia, Eisenam trout, Brown trout, Svetovidov's longfin palia, Davatchan.

Commercial value

Today, almost all species of salmon are actively caught on a commercial scale. Therefore, we can say with confidence that the salmon family belongs to a valuable species of commercial fish. At the same time, not only fish meat is valued, but also its caviar.

Salmon life cycle

The onset of puberty occurs on average at 3-5 years of age. If living in cold waters, the period can increase to 7 years. In general, the life cycle of salmon is directly related to the richness and diversity of the nutritional environment. In salty waters with an abundance of potential food, salmon gain weight faster and can begin spawning after just 2 years. As a rule, sexually mature individuals rarely survive spawning, because they hardly feed.

In addition, they are constantly in rivers, outside their usual habitat. However, some individuals manage to safely survive the spawning period and return to their familiar environment. In this case, the salmon successfully regains the weight lost during the forced famine. Such individuals can live up to 13 years, the average age of salmon will be 7-8 years.

Ways to catch salmon

The main methods of catching salmon include:

spinning fishing;
fly fishing.

For spinning fishing, it is necessary to select high-quality and strong gear that can withstand heavy weight. An excellent option would be a two-handed spinning rod made of carbon. Moreover, the coil must be of the inertial type. With this type of fishing, you should pay attention to the length of the rod. It is better if it is at least 2.5 meters.

The requirements for hooks are simple: choose from No. 8, 5 to 10, but no more. They will allow you to catch individuals weighing around 10 kg. The thickness of the fishing line must be selected based on the characteristics of the place chosen for fishing. Usually no more than 0.6 mm is sufficient. In this case, the weight of the spinner must be increased in proportion to the thickness of the fishing line.

Fishing begins with determining the location of the fish. To do this, you need to take a small spoon and cast it upstream. If this does not give results, then you need to take a larger spoon and cast it lower. It must be driven in short bursts, with obligatory stops. If a fish bites, it should be hooked immediately, otherwise it may escape.

For fly fishing, the selection of a fishing rod should be based on individual characteristics. It is necessary to take into account the conditions of the chosen location and the habits of the fisherman. For example, a long rod can make fishing in difficult conditions much easier, which can be a deciding factor. However, keeping it short will be much more convenient, therefore, the chances of missing prey are reduced significantly.

Flies for Atlantic salmon must be selected depending on the season. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the depth and current of the river or reservoir. If fishing is planned for the spring, then it is best to focus on a fly of 6 cm or more. You should choose a reel as when fishing with a spinning rod.

To determine the location of the salmon, you need to cast a fly and let it float with the current. Then you need to jerk it towards you, and the movements should be short. If the gear was chosen correctly, then determining the parking location will not be difficult.

Nutritional value of salmon

The nutritional value of salmon lies in the fact that it is rich in proteins that are easily absorbed by the body. 100 g contains half of the required daily requirement. In addition, fish fillet includes a lot of microelements: zinc, magnesium, sodium, fluorine, potassium, sulfur, phosphorus. Vitamins, the main groups contained in salmon, also give additional value: A, B, C, H, PP, D. In addition, salmon contains polyunsaturated fats - Omega-3 and Omega-6. Given the lack of carbohydrates, salmon can be considered a necessary component of a healthy diet.

Content:

Nutritional value of salmon*
Vitamins in salmon
Calorie content of salmon
Useful elements in salmon
Useful properties of salmon
Contraindications and harm to salmon

Salmon, or Atlantic salmon, is a valuable and rare fish of the salmon family, living in the waters of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, in the basins of the Barents, Baltic and White seas, in Lakes Ladoga and Onega.
Representatives of this species have an elongated body covered with small shiny scales, an elongated and slightly pointed head, and a large mouth with many sharp, strong teeth. The sides of Atlantic salmon are silvery, the back is gray with a bluish tint, and the fins are brown. Above the lateral line on the body of the fish you can find many dark spots. The maximum lifespan of salmon in nurseries and wild reservoirs is 13 years. During this time, Atlantic salmon manages to gain weight up to 39 kg and grow in length up to 145 cm. Salmon is sold fresh, frozen, salted and smoked. The carcasses and fillets of this fish are baked, boiled, fried, and used for making soups, pastries, salads, cold appetizers or main courses.

Calorie content of salmon

The calorie content of salmon is quite high. So, per 100 g of product there are about 155 Kcal. Therefore, people suffering from obesity should consume fish in moderation. In addition, hypertensive patients should avoid eating salmon. Diseases of the urinary system should also be a reason to exclude fish from the diet.

For everyone else, periodic consumption of salmon will only bring benefits. Doctors have long proven the positive effects of salmon on the human body. Thus, periodic consumption of fish fillet will lead to normalization of metabolism. An abundance of microelements and vitamins will improve heart function, strengthen blood vessels and normalize the nervous system.

Product benefits, nutritional value and calorie content

Salmon is considered the most popular salmon fish because its meat is rich in minerals and vitamins. It contains polyunsaturated fats (Omega-3 complex), which reduces cholesterol levels and regulates the width of the lumen of blood vessels.

Salmon meat contains a lot of animal protein, and it is perfectly absorbed by the human body. The main thing is not to forget that this fish is quite high in calories, so to prepare it you need to choose optimal heat treatment methods and consume it in moderation.

Salmon has a high calorie content compared to other salmon fish. There are about 155 kcal per 100 g of fillet.

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Like other seafood, salmon can provoke allergic reactions, so people with a predisposition to hypersensitivity should eat it carefully.

Not all salmon is equally healthy. This fish absorbs harmful substances if it lives in unsuitable conditions. Recently, its fishery has been flourishing, but not all entrepreneurs treat the breeding process equally responsibly. It is possible to protect yourself by simply asking the seller for a quality certificate for the product you are purchasing. If there is no document, you should not take the fish, it can be dangerous.