Salmon is the common name for several commercially important species. These fish species are mainly fresh water species and are keystone species in Pacific northwest and Alaska. Their meat is very rich in several nutrients and oils. Oil also posses antioxidants help to reduce the process of aging.

1. DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY
PRESENTED BY : HIRA TARIQ
REG NO.2OM-UOC/ZOL-28
BS-ZOOLOGY
SEMESTER-8th
SESSION 2020-2024
COURSE: ICHTHYOLOGY
SUBMITTED TO Dr.SYEDA NADIA AHMAD
TOPIC: Salmo salar (Salmon)

2.  Word "salmon" comes from the latin “salire meaning "to
come up, to leap.”
 Salmon are anadromous fish.
 Salmon at Karachi port is Rawas.
 Historically it supported commercial,sustenance and
recreational fisheries (Hvas, M., Folkedal, O., & Oppedal,
F. (2021).

3.  Kingdom Animalia
 Phylum Chordata
 Class Actinopterygii
 Order Salminoformes
 Family Salmonidae
 Genus Salmo
 Species Salmo salar Fig. Salmon
https://columbiariversalmon

4.  Body of salmon is torpedo shaped.
 Fins:
 Salmon have two dorsal fins, one soft and one spiny fin,an
adipose fin near the tail.
 A pair of pectoral and pelvic fins.
 Adipose fin is fleshy fin that help with stability while
swimming.
 Caudal or tail fin is powerful,forked and provide thrust for
swimming (Landry, J. D., Blanch, E. W., & Torley, P. J.
(2023).

6.  Scales:
 Salmon are covered with
cycloid scales which are
thin,round scales with smooth
edges.
 These offer some protection
from predators and the Fig.Scales
environment. https://www.bing.com/images/
(Landry, J. D., Blanch, E. W., & Torley, P. J. (2023).

7.  Streamlined body:
 It minimizes water resistance.Important for their long
migrations between freshwater and saltwater.
Fig. Streamlined Body
https://www.bing.com/images

8.  Mouth:
 Salmon has a terminal mouth
located at the tip of snout.
 Snout is pointed and helps
salmon navigate through current
and locate food in water.
 Mouth is lined with small teeth
for gripping prey. Fig.Mouth
 Tongue is covered in small papillae which help with tasting
and food manipulation (Landry, J. D., Blanch, E. W., &
Torley, P. J. (2023).

9.  Gills:
 Salmon breathe underwater
through gills.
 Located on either side
of the head and
 Covered by a protective
flap.
Fig.Gills of Salmon
 Gills extract O2 from water. https://columbiariversalmon.
and release CO2.

10.  Coloration:
 In general,salmon are silver when
in ocean and become more colourful
often taking on red or pink hues
when they return to freshwater
to spawn. Fig. Coloration
 This change in coloration is thought to https://columbiariversalmon
be related to attracting mates.
(Landry, J. D., Blanch, E. W., & Torley, P. J. (2023).

11. Pacific Salmon
 Pacific salmon are found
in northern pacific ocean
and rivers.
 Are anadromous meaning
hatch in freshwater
streams and migrate to
ocean to grow when
mature they return to
freshwater to spawn.
 Except sockye salmon.
Atlantic Salmon
 Salmo salar are found in
northern atlantic ocean and
in rivers.
 Are anadromous meaning
hatch in freshwater
streams and rivers but
migrate to ocean to grow
when they mature, they
return to freshwater for
spawning.

12.  There are seven commercially important species of pacific
salmon.
 Chinook Salmon:
 Also known as king salmon.
 Largest pacific salmon species reaching upto 58 inches 1.5
metres in length and weighing upto 126 pounds or 57 kg.
 Known for their vibrant red flesh and powerful fights when
hooked by anglers( Ytrestøyl, T., 2020).

14.  Coho Salmon:
 Also known as silver salmon.
 Smaller than Chinook
averaging around 30 inches
(76 inches) long and 15
pounds (6.8 kg).
 Prized by sport fisherman
for their acrobatic leaps Fig.Coho salmon
to be caught. https://www.bing.com/images/search
(Ytrestøyl, T., 2020).

15.  Sockye Salmon:
 Also known as red salmon.
 Named due to brilliant red
colour they turn during
spawning season.
 They are smaller species
typically weighing around Fig.Sockye
6 pounds (2.7 kg). https://columbiariversalmon.ca/red-sockeye
 They are commercially important and prized for their
rich,oily flesh (Ytrestøyl, T., 2020).

16.  Chum Salmon:
 Also known as Keta salmon.
 Another smaller species
averaging around 10 pound.
 Less favored for eating.
 Due to their paler flesh but
are commercially important
for fish roe ( Ytrestøyl, T.,2020).
Fig.Chum salmon
https://www.bing.com/images/

17.  Masu Salmon:
 Found in rivers and coastal waters
of East asia reaching upto 31
inches (79cm).
 They are commercially important
species in japan (Ytrestøyl, T.,2020).
Fig. Masu salmon
https://www.bing.com/images/

18.  Humpback Salmon:
 Also known as pink salmon.
 Smallest and most abundant
pacific salmon species averaging
around 3 pounds (1.4) kg.
 Named for hump that develop
on the back of males during
spawning season (Ytrestøyl, T., (2020).
Fig.Humpback salmon
https://www.bing.com/images/

19.  Atlantic Salmon:
 It is the only salmon species
native to atlantic ocean.
 Their size is upto 5 feet.
and weighing upto 80
pounds or (36kg).
 Atlantic Salmon are prized
for their flavor and are Fig.Atlantic salmon
commercially farmed in https://www.bing.com/images/
the world (Ytrestøyl, T., 2020).

20.  Lifelong Journey:
 Salmon hatch in freshwater rivers and streams.They spend
their juvenile years here feeding and growing for several
years.
 Smoltification:
 As they mature undergo a physiological change called
smoltification.
 Prepares to live in ocean, silver scales become more
reflective for camouflaging in open water.
 Their gills become more efficient at extracting oxygen
from water.

21.  Ocean Life:
 Salmon spend next few years in ocean.
 Scientists are still not entirely sure how salmon navigate
these long distances but they describe certain factors like:
 Smell
 Magnetic fields
 Spawning and death:
 They reach their natal streams salmon spawn and lay
eggs in gravel nests,males fertilize them.
 Most salmon die shortly after spawning ( Landry, J. D.,
Blanch, E. W., & Torley, P. J. (2023).

22.  Food source: For humans with protein,omega-3 fatty
acids,vitamins and minerals.
 Reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.
 Ecosystem health: Play a vital role in health of aquatic
ecosystem.
 In streams they control insect populations and provide
nutrients for fish and organisms.

23.  Weight Loss: It increases the rate at which food is
converted into energy, which helps you lose fat.
 It accelerates calorie burn.
 Cultural significance: Atlantic salmon hold cultural
importance in many regions, serving as symbols of
endurance,adaptability and the delicate balance between
human activities and nature.
 They are also a prized catch in recreational fishing (Landry,
J. D., Blanch, E. W., & Torley, P. J. (2023).

24.  Economic driver: Commercial fishing industry relies on
salmon,providing jobs and income for coastal communities.
 Indicator species: Salmon are sensitive to changes in their
environment.
 If salmon population decline, it’s a sign that something is
wrong in environment.
 Nature’s fertilizer: After spawning most salmon die.Their
decomposing bodies provide essential nutrients for the
surrounding ecosystem.
 The nutrients are absorbed by plants and trees.

25.  Total Production:.
 It accounts 32.6% of all fin fish in marine and coastal
aquaculture, and ranks as the 7th most farmed fish overall.
 Commercial importance:
 Atlantic salmon by-products proven to be excellent
repository of potent bioactive molecules.
 Prevention effects:
 Bioactive peptides display potent antioxidant,
anticoagulant, and antidiabetic activities (Landry, J. D.,
Blanch, E. W., & Torley, P. J. (2023).

26.  Amazing Athletes:
 Salmon are incredible swimmers.
 Can jump up waterfalls as high as 6 feet.
 During their spawning migrations,salmon travel over 3000
km upstream.
 Displays an impressive flexibility to cope well in different
environmental conditions (Walsh, J. C., (2020).

27.  Navigational superstars:
 Salmon have an amazing homing instinct.
 They navigate back to exact freshwater stream where
they were born to spawn.
 Endangered Species:
 Several salmon populations are listed as endangered.
 Due to factors such as habitat loss, overfishing, and
barriers to migration (Walsh, J. C., (2020).

28.  CRISPR:
 There are a variety of research projects on potential
applications on CRISPR in the salmon farming industry
already with further development likely on the way.
 CRISPR the genome editing technology described as one
of the most important scientific developments this century.
 There is ongoing research on how CRISPR can be used to
induce sterility in farmed populations and make the farmed
salmon resistant to parasites and diseases (Winther, H.
(2024).

29.  Salmons include seven species of Pacific salmon and one
species of Atlantic salmon.
 They are anadromous.They are born in streams and rivers,
migrate out to the open sea, and then return to freshwater
again to reproduce.
 Salmon are commercially and economically important.

30. Hvas, M., Folkedal, O., & Oppedal, F. (2021). Fish welfare in offshore salmon aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture,
13(2), 836-852.
Landry, J. D., Blanch, E. W., & Torley, P. J. (2023). Chemical indicators of atlantic salmon quality. Food Reviews
International, 1-31.
Oke, K. B., Cunningham, C. J., Westley, P. A. H., Baskett, M. L., Carlson, S. M., Clark, J., ... & Palkovacs, E. P.
(2020). Recent declines in salmon body size impact ecosystems and fisheries. Nature communications, 11(1),
4155.
Araujo, B. C., Symonds, J. E., Glencross, B. D., Carter, C. G., Walker, S. P., & Miller, M. R. (2023). A review of the
nutritional requirements of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). New Zealand journal of marine and
freshwater research, 57(2), 161-190.
Winther, H. (2024). Artifishial: naturalness and the CRISPR-salmon. Agriculture and Human Values, 1-12.
Walsh, J. C., Pendray, J. E., Godwin, S. C., Artelle, K. A., Kindsvater, H. K., Field, R. D., ... & Reynolds, J. D.
(2020). Relationships between Pacific salmon and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems: implications for
ecosystem‐based management. Ecology, 101(9), e03060.
Ytrestøyl, T., Takle, H., Kolarevic, J., Calabrese, S., Timmerhaus, G., Rosseland, B. O., ... & Terjesen, B. F. (2020).
Performance and welfare of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. post‐smolts in recirculating aquaculture systems:
Importance of salinity and water velocity. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 51(2), 373-392.