SIZE:
47 cm, up to 150 cm.
LIFE EXPECTANCY:
10 years.
LIFE CYCLE:
Sexual maturity is reached between 3 and 7 years of age.
Spawning takes place in late autumn. Once returned to the waterway of their birth, females dig “nests.” Once the eggs have been fertilized by the male, the female buries the eggs under 12 to 15 cm of gravel using her tail. The eggs hatch in early spring.
At around 3 years of age, the young salmon migrate to salt water. They will remain there for one to three years, before returning to fresh water to spawn.
Most salmon die after spawning, but a small percentage of females return to the sea.
Atlantic salmon develop a hooked jaw during the breeding season.
Credit: E. Peter Steenstra/USFWS, photo taken in Maine in 2006.
Atlantic salmon has a long body. It has a large mouth that extends to right below the eyes. The male’s lower jaw forms a hook as it prepares to reproduce. This hook is sometimes so large that it can pierce the palate. Its caudal fin is broad, concave and forked. Its back is blue-green, and the flanks are silvery with round or X-shaped spots. Its belly is white. As salmon grows, its colour changes.
Salmon scales are like tree rings. They can be used to determine a fish’s age and the number of times it has spawned.
In the water column at shallow depths
Its habitat varies throughout its life. Salmon live in salt water and migrate to fresh water to reproduce. It is an anadromous fish.
Atlantic salmon live in rivers that have a good oxygen supply, a gravel or rocky bed and a relatively strong current.
PREYS:
Plankton
Fish larvae
Small fish
Crustaceans
PREDATORS:
Seals
Seabirds
MACHINES:
Aquaculture.
REGULATIONS:
Commercial fishing of Atlantic salmon has been banned in Canada since 1998. Salmon biomass has a status of “special concern” and even “endangered,” depending on the population.
Salmon is of economic and cultural importance to the Mi’gmaq of Gesgapegiag and Gespeg in the Gaspé Peninsula and the Wolsatoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation in the lower St. Lawrence. These communities fish this species for community and recreational purposes. This practice is part of their traditions.
Beyond the basins
Salmon is a species particularly well suited to aquaculture, as it adapts quickly to farming conditions. However, farming does have its drawbacks. The chemicals, antibiotics and antiparasitics used in farming end up in the surrounding waters. Moreover, these reared salmon must be fed. It takes 3 kg of fish to produce 1 kg of farmed salmon.
BENEFITS:
Salmon is a fatty fish, rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and lipids.
LET’S COOK:
Firm, moist texture. Very refined, slightly sweet and oily taste. Smooth, pink flesh.
Salmon is very versatile and has already earned its place in our kitchens. It can be pan-fried, baked and smoked; served as a burger, gravlax, sushi and more.
OUR CULINARY ADVICE :
- Find out where your salmon comes from before you buy it. Avoid salmon raised in “open nets.” This type of farming has a greater impact on the surrounding environment.
- Baking is the easiest way for the uninitiated. It is best to keep the skin on to prevent the fish from drying out. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 °F (200 °C), with a bit of lemon, pepper and salt.
- For more experienced chefs, poached salmon may be more complicated to prepare but is healthier. The salmon is cooked in a pan, covered with broth. For best results, the stock should be simmering, not boiling. Our little bonus? Flavour this concoction with algae.
Wild or farmed?
Compared to farmed salmon, wild salmon has less fatty flesh and is slightly paler. These differences stem from their distinct diets. However, given the ban on commercial fishing for Atlantic salmon in Canada, you will find mostly farmed salmon in grocery stores.
