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Atlantic salmon
Lachs
Scientific name: Salmo salar
NativeFreshwaterMigratory
Behavior
A classic anadromous fish: grows to maturity at sea, then migrates back upstream to spawn in its natal freshwater streams. Unlike Pacific salmon, it does not die after spawning and can return to the sea to spawn again.
Features
Up to 1.5 m long, one of the world's most important commercial fish. Its scientific name "Salmo salar" roughly means "the leaper" or "dweller of salt water".
Distribution
Native to the North Atlantic and its coastal rivers. Historically abundant in Germany's North Sea and Baltic tributaries, but went extinct in the Rhine in 1958. Today's wild populations mostly stem from reintroduction programs since the 1990s.