|
|
| Muscle
Motion |
| Like
all fish, the salmon
relies on its muscles
for much of its
swimming and jumping
power. Fish muscles,
up to 80% of the
body, are arranged
in multiple directions
that allow the fish
to move in any direction.
Find out more in
Physics
|
| Fishy
Facts |
|
Oncorhynchus
gorbuscha?
Scientific
names for Pacific
salmon species
are Russian in
origin, because
they were chosen
by George Wilhelm
Stellar, a member
of the Bering
expedition to
Siberia in the
18th century.
|
|
Out
to Sea, and Home Again
The most remarkable feature
of the salmon life cycle is
anadromy, the conversion of
a young freshwater fish to
an adult saltwater fish, back
to a spawning freshwater fish.
With a few notable exceptions,
the landlocked populations,
all salmon go through complex
biological and biochemical
processes to adapt to both
inland and marine environments.
Find out more in Life
Cycles.
Roe
and milt
Produced in the ovaries of
the female salmon, and the
testes of the male, salmon
eggs and sperm are released
simultaneously from the vent
during spawning for fertilization
in the nest. In a mature female,
a large portion of the body
cavity will be filled with
roe (eggs). They will be contained
within the membrane of the
roe sacs, unless they have
loosened into the cavity just
prior to spawning. Male milt,
or sperm, is produced in the
testis of the male.
Find out
more in Biology.
Chinook
Salmon,
The
Winner of the Heavyweight
Title:
A highly prized sport catch,
Chinook are by far the largest
of the Pacific salmon, and
also the most powerful. The
undisputed "king of the
salmon" can weigh up
to 45 kilograms. The world
record is 57.27 kilograms.
Learn more in Salmon
Families.
|
