Salmon perform one of the greatest athletic feats in the animal kingdom every single year. These determined fish swim thousands of miles against raging currents to return to their exact birthplace. Furthermore, their bodies undergo terrifying physical transformations just to survive the journey. Consequently, their life cycle feeds entire ecosystems, from bears to giant redwood trees. Explore the wild details about the fish that never gives up.
Salmon
Salmon possess a sense of smell that is thousands of times stronger than that of a dog. Remarkably, they use this superpower to detect a single drop of scent in an area the size of ten Olympic pools.
They rely on the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate across the vast, open ocean. Therefore, they carry a built-in biological compass that guides them toward their home river with pinpoint accuracy.
The name “salmon” comes from the Latin word salire, which literally means “to leap.” Fittingly, these fish can jump nearly seven feet vertically to clear waterfalls and obstacles.
Pacific salmon stop eating entirely once they enter fresh water to spawn. Thus, they survive the most difficult part of their journey by burning their own stored body fat.
Forests in the Pacific Northwest actually depend on salmon for their nutrients. surprisingly, scientists found nitrogen from rotting salmon in the rings of trees located far from the riverbanks.
Male salmon develop a terrifying hooked jaw called a “kype” during the mating season. This skeletal structure grows rapidly to help them fight off other males for dominance.
Ancient fossil records reveal that a “saber-toothed salmon” once swam in North American waters. Amazingly, this prehistoric giant grew nearly ten feet long and weighed up to 500 pounds.
Most Pacific salmon die almost immediately after they lay their eggs. Tragically, their bodies deteriorate into a “zombie” state while they are still alive during the final days.
However, Atlantic salmon can survive the spawning run and return to the ocean. Unlike their Pacific cousins, they often recover and make the grueling journey up to three different times.
Orcas in the Puget Sound once started a bizarre fashion trend involving these fish. Specifically, the killer whales swam around for weeks wearing dead salmon on their heads like hats.
Their ear bones, called otoliths, develop rings just like the trunk of a tree. Consequently, biologists count these growth rings to determine the exact age of a fish.
Sockeye salmon change their color drastically when they return to fresh water. They transform from a flashy silver to a bright, vibrant red while their heads turn emerald green.
A female salmon carries roughly 4,000 eggs inside her body during the migration. Unfortunately, only a tiny fraction of these eggs will survive long enough to become adult fish.
Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest honor the fish with a “First Salmon Ceremony.” They carefully prepare and share the first catch of the season to ensure the fish return next year.
Finally, farmed salmon would naturally be white or gray without a special diet. Therefore, farmers feed them plant pigments to give their meat the pink color that customers expect.
