• Norwegian: laks

Characteristics:

The upper jaw reaches as far back as the eye, in contrast to the trout, where the jaw passes the eye. The dark spots on both sides of the body are not circular, like the spots on the trout. It can reach a weight of 40 kg and a length of 1,5 meters. Atlantic salmon can be distinguished from the Pacific salmon by the fact that they have fewer than 13 rays in the anal fin.

Habitat:

In Norway there are 400-500 populations, spawning in different rivers along the coast. A few populations live solely in fresh water. Most salmons live in fresh water for their two first years, before migrating to the sea. At an age of 5-6 years they return to the same river to spawn. Females dig a nest in the river bottom where the eggs are laid. They return to the sea and some come back to spawn the next year. Very few come back a third time.

Distribution:

The Atlantic Salmon can be found along the Atlantic coasts of Europe, from the Barents Sea to Portugal, including Iceland and Greenland.