Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic Salmon
Fish
A remarkable fish that migrates between rivers and the ocean.
💡 Fun Facts
- Born in the river, swims out to the ocean to grow, and then uses a magnetic sense to find its exact birth river to lay its own eggs!
Name Story
Salmo salar
means “The leaper”
a traditional story'The leaper' is the reading handed down over the years; some scholars think the word may instead mean 'of salt water', so nobody is completely certain.
What does its name mean?
- Salmo — salmonLatin, often linked to salire 'to leap'
- salar — the leaperLatin (traditionally); some read it as 'of salt water'
To reach the gravelly streams where they were born, salmon hurl themselves up waterfalls and weirs — which is why 'salar' is traditionally read as 'the leaper'.