About Salmons and Trouts
Northern predatory fishes, many anadromous, of major ecological and economic importance.
Salmoniformes centre on the family Salmonidae — salmons, trouts, chars, whitefishes, and graylings — of cool northern waters.
Morphology. Streamlined, soft-rayed fishes with an adipose fin, a small fleshy fin between dorsal and caudal fins unique to this group. They possess a lateral line and an excellent olfactory system used for homing.
Habitat & distribution. Cold rivers, lakes, and North Pacific/North Atlantic oceans. Most salmons are anadromous — hatching in freshwater, migrating to sea, and returning to their natal stream to spawn once and die.
Human significance. Among the most valued food and sport fishes worldwide; salmon aquaculture and wild fisheries are economically enormous, and they are keystone species in northern ecosystems.
