Salmon fish are the only family in the salmon suborder. Among them there are both freshwater and anadromous species. Of these, the most common are: salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, whitefish, brown trout, grayling, omul, char, taimen and lenok. Most of these fish are referred to simply by collective names: trout and salmon.
Origin
Salmon fish appeared about 145 million years ago. In structure and shape, they are very similar to herring, and in some classifications they are even combined. But salmon can be easily distinguished by a well-drawn lateral line on the body. The division of the family into modern species occurred 62-25 million years ago.
Distinguishing Features
Fish of the salmon family can have a body length from several centimeters (for example, whitefish) to two meters, and their weight can reach seventy kilograms (taimen, salmon, chinook).
The absolute record holder in size is the taimen. This fish of the salmon family can livemore than fifty years old, have a weight of one hundred kilograms, a length of more than two and a half meters. The body is long and narrow, covered with round scales.
All salmon fish have one dorsal fin and one adipose fin behind it.
Reproduction
Life expectancy in some species can reach fifteen years.
They can only breed in fresh water. At the same time, some species constantly live in lakes, but most of them rise to spawn from s alty reservoirs to fresh ones. Most often they return to the same place where they were born. It is still unknown how exactly they find their native river. Perhaps by the heavenly bodies and bright constellations, or by the taste of water and the finest features of its composition.
During spawning, salmon change their shape and color (put on "marriage attire").
Spawning
As already mentioned, salmon breeding occurs only in fresh water - in streams, rivers or lakes. This is due to the fact that their ancestors were freshwater, and only some of their descendants evolved into anadromous fish - these are Atlantic and Pacific salmon.
Most species only spawn once in their lives and then die. This is more typical for Pacific salmon, but Atlantic salmon can spawn up to four times.
Before this process, salmon fish change significantly both externally and internally. The coloration from silver turns to red-black, in males sometimesa hump may appear, the teeth become larger. But almost all internal organs degrade, the meat becomes less elastic and, as a result, less valuable.
Locations
Mostly salmon live in the Northern Hemisphere. They are most common in North Asia, Europe, North America, and also in the mountains of North Africa. In the Southern Hemisphere, this family is absent in its natural habitat, but in some places they are artificially acclimatized and bred.
Fishing
Their meat has a characteristic taste and is very rich in useful substances, so all types of salmon are the object of fishing. They provide a catch of about three percent of all marine fish caught.
