Illustration of Salmo trutta (Brown Trout)
Side (lateral) view of an atlantic salmon smolt
Side view (lateral) of an Atlantic salmon parr
Side (lateral) view of an atlantic salmon fry
The Atlantic salmon is an anadromous fish, typically spending 2-3 years in freshwater, migrating to the ocean where it also spends 2-3 years, and then returning to its natal river to spawn. It originally occurred in every country with rivers flowing in to the North Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea and is thus native to the region. Today, the species distribution has decreased in its southern range on both sides of the Atlantic