Atlantic Salmon
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Atlantic salmon
[ət¦lan·tik ′sa·mən]Atlantic Salmon
(Salmo salar), a migratory fish of the family Salmonidae. The Atlantic salmon reaches a length of 1.5 m and a weight of 39 kg. It inhabits the North Atlantic and the southwestern part of the Arctic Ocean. In the USSR the fish is present in the basins of the Barents, Kara, White, and Baltic seas. Sexual maturity is usually attained at five years of age. The fish spawns in rivers in the autumn and winter, depositing 6,000 to 26,000 roe. The large, orange roe are buried by the female under pebbles. In the river the fry feed on aquatic larvae, adult insects, and small fishes. In one to five years the salmon migrate to the sea, where they feed mainly on fishes. In lakes the Atlantic salmon is a resident form. The fish has great commercial value and is often raised on fish farms.