1.
Eggs
Eggs are laid by the female fish in a nest called a redd. The
male fish then fertilizes them before they can be hatched into
alevins. A female fish can lay between 3,000-7,000 eggs at
this time. Only a small percentage of eggs make it through to
alevins, because of falling debris and damage by water
currents and flotsam and jetsam. Others don't make it because
they aren't tough enough to take the damage of rocks and
things that might hurt the eggs while they're forming their
eyes!
(photo
courtesy of ©Natalie Fobes Photography)
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2.
Alevins
When alevins are hatched they have a yolk sac attached to
their bodies. They have to stay in the redd, until they have
used all their food in the yolk sacs. The yolk sacs are
attached to the bottom of their body and provide protein,
sugar, minerals, and vitamins. As they use all the food in the
yolk sac the sac slowly disappears.
(photo courtesy of ©Canadian
Fishing Company - Canfisco)
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3. Fry
When alevins turn into fry they have to swim up and out of the
gravel and leave the nest. Then they have to look for food.
The fry have dark black marks called parr marks that help
camouflage them. These help them to avoid being eaten by
things that are hungry such as eagles or other fish that are
larger than them. When they grow to be four inches long they
become smolts.
(photo
courtesy of ©Canadian Fishing Company - Canfisco)
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4.
Smolt
Smolts are young salmon that have to adapt to salt water from
being in fresh water all their lives. Smolts can reach up to
twelve centimetres long, with silvery scales.
(photo
courtesy of ©Natalie Fobes Photography)
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5. Adults
Now they're in the ocean and they have to swim long distances
and they form into groups called schools. There is a lot more
food in the ocean that they swim in. Some salmon grow up to
7,000.0 grams
(photo courtesy ©Fisheries
and Oceans, Canada)
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6.
Spawners
1-7 years after they first reach the ocean adult salmon begin
their journey back to the creek they came from in order to
spawn. Another fact is that salmon stop eating before they
enter the fresh water creeks. Another way of putting it
is that salmon go on diets until they die. The hormones in
their bodies cause them to change in many ways. The females'
snouts grow longer and abdomen swell up. The males' backs
become humped and their jaws become hooked. Most salmon change
colour when they start spawning.
(photo
courtesy of ©Natalie Fobes Photography)
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