Salmon is just a generic name for a large family of fish. They can live in both salt water and fresh water. All fish of this huge family have tender and delicious meat, which makes it a real delicacy (the meat is shown in the photo).

Appearance and varieties

The body length of salmon depends on the species. For example, whitefish grow only a few centimeters, and there are species that grow up to 2 meters. The weight of salmon, chinook salmon and taimen can reach up to 70 kilograms. Salmon also live in different ways. Some live only a few years, others live up to 15 years.

In structure, salmon are somewhat reminiscent of individuals from the herring order. Because of this extraordinary similarity, salmon used to be classified as herring. A separate family of salmonids was isolated quite recently. The selection of a separate family is associated with a huge abundance of species and some differences from herring. This fish is shown in more detail in the photo.

Almost all salmon have a long body that is laterally compressed. It is covered with easily falling, either round, or with a comb-like edge of cycloidal scales. Salmon differ from herring in the presence of a lateral line. The pelvic fins are located in the middle of the belly and have more than 6 rays. The pectoral fins have no rays and are low-sessile.

The mouth of the fish is bordered by the maxillary and premaxillary bones. Most salmon species have clear eyelids on their eyes. Salmon have an incompletely ossified skeleton: the skull is mostly cartilage. The lateral processes do not grow to the vertebrae. Depending on external conditions, as well as during the spawning period, salmon changes both color and shape of their body.

The entire huge family of salmonids includes the following types of fish:

Char

This fish is quite similar in appearance, a distinctive feature of which is only its habitat. Also, char is also called the orderly of reservoirs because of his gastronomic preferences.

Pink salmon grows up to 60 centimeters in length and is colored silvery. It inhabits almost the entire northern part of the globe.

Ishkhan is a resident of Lake Sevan. It is considered one of the most valuable gourmet fish. Reaches in weight up to 15 kilograms.

Chum salmon is a Far Eastern salmon. Widely distributed in the Pacific Ocean. It is a popular fishing destination. It has very large eggs over 8 millimeters in diameter.

Coho salmon, chinook salmon

The fish has white scales. Possesses very tasty meat. In the fishery, it is not very popular due to the small number of individuals.

Christiwomer North American

An exceptional inhabitant of lakes. It has 2 varieties, which differ in habitats. One species prefers to live near the surface of the water, the other sticks to depth.

The fish is listed in the Red Book. It is prized for its delicious meat and caviar. Inhabits European rivers, the White, Baltic, Black and Aral seas.

It is an object of fishing for amateur fishermen. Commercial fishing companies show little interest in him. Grows small. Average individuals weigh up to 3 kilograms.

Red salmon

This variety is also called red fish, because of the meat that is colored red. Prefers cold water. It rarely occurs if the air temperature is above 1 degree Celsius.

Salmon

A very large salmon species. It grows up to 1.5 meters in length and gains more than 40 kilograms in weight. It is considered one of the best delicacies. The people call it the royal fish.

Distribution and habitats

Pacific salmon is found in the upper horizon of the world's oceans. Here this fish appears during the migration period. They come here either from the depths or from coastal shoals. Salmon comes here to gain weight. And then he goes to spawn either back to the shoals, or to freshwater rivers or lakes where he was born.

Pacific salmon live in schools, forming huge biomasses, sometimes even exceeding the number of permanent inhabitants of the ocean. The main representatives of the Pacific salmon are chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon and sima. Most often, this fish comes to the North Pacific Ocean, where it gathers in huge schools and actively feeds. Spawning Pacific salmon go to the rivers of the Russian Far East, as well as water bodies in Korea, Japan, North America and even Taiwan. At different times of the year, salmon live in different places, however, even with the onset of winter cold weather, it does not go beyond the subarctic waters.

Atlantic salmon, along with other species of this fish, are both resident and anadromous. Anadromous salmon are generally found in the North Atlantic Ocean. From here they go to spawn in many rivers, from Spain to the Barents Sea. Lakes in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia are rich in habitable form of this salmon.

Salmon is a very valuable commercial fish. Therefore, it is actively bred in fish farms. Some farms breed it for the purpose of organizing sport fishing, while others because of its taste. This is not surprising, because the meat of this fish is very tasty and tender, it is considered a delicacy. This fish is great for many types of dishes.

Diet

Salmon spends most of their life in the sea, where they actively feed. The fish menu includes herring, gerbil and crustaceans. Leaving for spawning in rivers and lakes, salmon completely cease to feed. Therefore, during the spawning period, the meat loses its taste, turns pale and coarse.

Young individuals, as a rule, eat zooplankton, crustaceans, insects and their larvae, and will not miss insects that have fallen into the water. He also loves to feast on vendace and smelt. To search for accumulations of this delicacy, salmon constantly moves through the reservoir. The salmon menu is directly dependent on the season, which indicates the variability of food priorities. Other types of fish, as prey, salmon are of little interest and, as a rule, this food fades into the background.

Reproduction

Salmon almost always spawn in freshwater flowing water bodies. Typically, these include rivers and streams. This interesting fact is quite understandable, since today's salmon is a descendant of freshwater fish. Thanks to the great forces of evolution, these distant ancestors evolved into anadromous fish capable of living in both salt and fresh water. This fish spends most of its life in salt water, actively feeding and gaining weight, and after 5 years it sets off on a long journey to the place where it was born in order to give life to a new generation of salmon.

As a rule, almost all anadromous fish go to spawn only once in a lifetime. After spawning, a huge amount of this fish simply dies. Typically, this life cycle is especially characteristic of the Pacific salmon. Of these, chum salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon and others can be distinguished.

Not all Atlantic salmon die during spawning. Some individuals are able to reproduce 4 times. There is only one recorded record. Single individuals went to spawn 5 times. However, this is the exception rather than the rule.

Before spawning begins, the fish changes greatly. The shape of the body changes greatly, the body changes color. The silvery color disappears, the fish dresses in a red mating outfit with black spots. The fish become taller and the males become hunchbacked. Hence, in fact, one of the species received the name pink salmon.

The jaws also undergo significant changes. They take on a hook-like shape, the lower one is bent up, and the upper, on the contrary, is curved down. Teeth are also greatly increased in size. Internal changes include degeneration of the liver, stomach and intestines, which makes meat less valuable, it becomes less elastic and fatty. Therefore, it is best to hunt salmon in the sea before spawning.

So, salmon is not a separate fish, as many believe, but a whole family, which includes a large number of separate species. This is a very valuable commercial fish. Salmon spends most of their life in salt water, and during the spawning period they go to the place where they were born. Salmon is prized not only for its delicious and tender meat, but also for its red caviar, which is actively harvested by poachers.

Salmon fish (salmon) found in most of the planet. You can see what it looks like in the photo. Salmon has always been one of the most expensive and desired products on our tables. It was she who was considered the "royal" fish. And not only because of the size. Delicious and aromatic meat with high nutritional value has long won the hearts of culinary experts around the world. In whatever form this fish is served, each dish will be classified as a delicacy.

Is there a salmon fish? The question is quite popular. Sometimes he collects discussions among a large number of readers. But the answer to it is more than simple, and it is easily confirmed by scientific facts and the works of biologists. As such, the fish called salmon does not exist. This name is collective, uniting all fish of the same type, which belong to the salmon family. Sometimes salmon are called trout, which is not a mistake.

The salmon family, which includes salmon, has many species of fish. The most recognizable of them are chum salmon, pink salmon, char, brown trout, coho salmon and others, which, according to some characteristics, fall under the general description of the appearance of salmonids. They have red meat, for which they are called "red fish". An interesting fact suggests that some species of salmon fish (for example, Far Eastern whitefish and nelma) may also have white meat. But this is more the exception than the rule.

Salmon, like many other fish that represent the genus of salmonids, are considered unique. For many, it will be a discovery that it cannot be characterized either as river or sea. This is because both salt and fresh waters are its habitat. Scientists, noting an interesting feature in salmonids, called this group of fishes diadromous. This should be understood as follows: a salmon is born in fresh water and spends its childhood in such conditions. Usually it takes several months, after which it migrates to salt water, where it “feeds”. During puberty, the fish (which corresponds to about five years from birth) returns to freshwater bodies for spawning. It is noteworthy that salmon meat becomes less tasty during this period of life. This is because it is excessively saturated with fat, which allows fish to overcome long distances, transforming into energy.

For most individuals, spawning occurs only once in a lifetime, and this is due to the physiological characteristics of the fish. Although poachers also "contribute" to this in the pursuit of meat and, in fact, the very same caviar. Fishing during the spawning season is not difficult because of the clumsiness and excessive carelessness, but it is prohibited by law due to the low population.

In fact, adults live in the seas and oceans (where there is a lot of food, because salmon is a predatory fish), and enter the lakes only to procreate. The size of the adult salmon feeds small fatty fish, shrimp and algae into its food chain. An interesting feature of the life of salmon and many salmonids makes the meat of these fish unique in composition. The taste of salmon is quite high, but its quantity in the wild is limited, therefore, the cost of a carcass of this fish can reach incredible amounts, especially if you know that it can reach a weight of forty kilograms.

It is these facts that make people breed salmon in artificial reservoirs, the living conditions in which are as close as possible to the wild. Rapid growth of fry also pushes for reproduction in a nursery, especially if one uses "advanced" technologies: hormones that accelerate growth and puberty, and antibiotics, which prevent mass pestilence of young animals. The high cost of such salmon feeding in a fish processing plant leaves a mark on the cost of fish, although this method is still cheaper than catching fish in natural reservoirs.

Where can I buy?

Where to buy salmon? This question can be seen quite often on forums in chat rooms. It arises because we do not eat this fish every day, because it is very expensive. The answer is simple. You can buy salmon and many other types of salmon:

in specialized departments of supermarkets;
in shops specializing in the sale of seafood;
on the coast where fishing is carried out;
in nurseries where fish are raised.

Fish comes to store shelves in the form of portioned pieces. It will not be difficult to buy it, but not every inhabitant of the planet can afford to buy a whole fish. And there is no particular sense in this. You can learn about how salmon is cut according to all the rules in production from the video attached to this article.

In most regions, salmon is sold exclusively frozen or ready-to-eat, for example, salted. In the latter case, salmon meat is most often packed in vacuum bags, which help to extend the shelf life of the tasty product.

As for cooling, it should be noted that this method is most often carried out by the method of dry deep freezing, which does not violate the integrity of the outer covers and inner fibers. Properly prepared salmon meat does not lose its properties after defrosting, but, as with all other protein products, it should only be carried out once.

Fresh in Russia and some countries of the post-Soviet space that have access to the sea, you can most often buy Kamchatka salmon, as well as fish caught in the White and Barents Seas. Sometimes the latter is also called Murmansk trout. In addition, live fish can be purchased in nurseries, which are located even in the interior of the continents, in areas where there are no seas and lakes.

How to choose a quality salmon?

At first glance, choosing a quality salmon can seem like a tricky business. This is especially true for those people who rarely buy delicious fish. But in practice, the choice of salmon should be approached, like the choice of any other fish.

The first thing every consumer needs to know is how fresh the product is on the counter. The main criteria that each buyer must evaluate are shown in the table below. For convenience, fresh and frozen fish are separated.

		Frozen
Appearance	The skin is shiny, firm. The scales adhere tightly to the carcass, in places near the head it has a slightly reddish tint, while the color of the carcass can range from light pink to pale peach. The gills are red. The eyes are light and shiny.	The skin is dense, light, easily separating from the pulp. The scales have a slightly dull shade, but at the same time they adhere well to the carcass. Most often it is not possible to assess the color of the gills and eyes, because this fish is supplied already decapitated or cut in portions.
	Spring when pressed and easily regains its previous shape. Dry, that is, it does not produce juice. Leaves a greasy mark on a paper towel.	May release some juice mixed with fat. Has a dense texture and does not disintegrate when cut into portions.
	Pleasant, without the pungent smell of fish oil.	Similar to the smell of all frozen fish, without impurities and old fat.

Any deviation from the generally accepted norms for evaluating fish suggests that you need to refrain from purchasing salmon. And the point is not only in the money thrown into the wind, but also in the fact that improperly stored fish loses most of the nutrients, for which it is ranked as "royal".

Composition and nutritional value

The composition, nutritional value and useful properties of salmon are due to the lifestyle of this valuable commercial fish. Sectional salmon meat is red in color, the shade of which can range from light pink to bright red. There is no single standard for color, but any of these extremes is not indicative of the quality or safety of the fish.

The composition of salmon meat contains such useful substances as:

potassium;
sodium;
phosphorus;
fluorine;
chlorine.

In addition, the meat of the "royal fish" contains vitamins A, B12, E and D (fish oil). The latter is found in large quantities in fish eggs, because it is an important "product" for the development of fry. The nutritional value of salmon differs from all other types of salmon fish primarily due to the composition and amount of fats. The calorie content of salmon is close to one hundred and forty kilocalories per hundred grams of raw product, and pieces of carcass from the middle are considered more nutritious than the tail. Regarding how much more nutritious it will be in comparison with other representatives of salmon, I would like to cite as an example the calorie content of raw pink salmon (the fish of the salmon family most often used instead of salmon). According to the calculations of nutritionists, its nutritional value is also equal to one hundred and forty kilocalories. Like all cooked foods, boiled or fried fish becomes more nutritious, while salted fish retains the same nutritional value as raw fish. The most "heavy" is smoked and grilled salmon.

The beneficial properties of salmon

The beneficial properties of salmon are due to its chemical composition. The benefits of eating this fish are enormous. Regular inclusion of salmon meat in the diet can work wonders, which will be manifested primarily in the beauty and health of the skin, luxury hair, healthy teeth and strong nails. Eating any kind of salmon in moderation helps:

improve the general condition of the body;
strengthen resistance to colds;
normalize vision;
make a beautiful figure;
reduce the risk of developing strokes;
strengthen the heart muscle;
get rid of insomnia;
improve the regeneration of the skin after burns and operations.

With regard to whether it is worth eating salmon for children, nursing mothers and pregnant women, the following must be said: these categories of people need to eat salmon in small quantities. A portion of salmon meat for kids older than a year should not exceed one hundred grams per day, while adults can eat up to half a kilogram of fish during the week. Children need to eat fish no more than once every ten days, always alternating with other types of fish and meat of birds and animals, so as not to cause an excess of nutrients.

The use of fish in cooking

The peculiarity of using this fish in cooking is the speed of its preparation. Facts are noted, but they are rather an exception to the rule that salmon can be eaten raw. Most often, this statement refers to the indigenous peoples inhabiting the northern part of Russia. In the rest of the world, the main cooking methods applied to salmon meat are:

salting dry or in brine;
steaming or boiling in water;
smoking and drying;
baking in the oven, in a slow cooker or on the grill;
frying in a dry frying pan or with the addition of a small amount of oil.

Many people like the fact that salmon is difficult to oversalt, and even if you miscalculate with the amount of salt, the fish will still turn out to be lightly salted. This is made possible by the high fat content of the meat. In addition to the meat of this fish, ridges can also be found on sale. It is not advisable to salt them. The best way to use skeletons in cooking is to boil broths that are clear and rich. It is noteworthy that they do not need to be cooked for long: five minutes on low heat will be enough to get a delicious broth and tender meat.

It is salmon that is most often served in restaurants as a signature dish, and in many of them they practice preparing delicacies right in front of the customer. Most often it is grilled or fried fish.

In general, salmon are prepared:

soups;
jellied meat or aspic;
salads;
casseroles on a baking sheet and in foil;
cutlets and meatballs;
fish oil;
kebabs and barbecue dishes;
pates and shavings.

But most often this fish is used for making sandwiches and filling pies, tartlets, pita bread, rolls, rolls, sushi or other cold snacks belonging to the cuisines of different nations of the world.

Salmon is served with simple side dishes, often in the manner of Japanese dishes, that is, with boiled rice, or with vegetables. It would be wrong to combine the meat of this fish with buckwheat and other cereals, potatoes or pasta familiar to many. Although the latter combination is often seen and tasted in Italian restaurants, pasta and its varieties are considered the number one dish.

Salmon goes well with:

cheese;
butter;
parsley;
rice;
mustard;
wine;
cream and sour cream;
cottage cheese;
chicken and quail eggs;
olives;
carrots;
soy sauce;
prunes;
lemon, orange and other citrus fruits;
dried apricots;
nuts;
vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, for example);
onions;
mushrooms.

Salmon, like most red fish, does not need spices, because the latter can not only drown out the delicate aroma of the fish itself, but also change the taste of the dish prepared from it. The only exception can be sesame seeds, which will not only decorate ready-made dishes, giving them completeness and an expensive look, but also help to hide the dryness of the finished fish.

The most common dressings for salted and heat-treated salmon are cream sauce and melted butter. Despite this, amateur cooks, using salmon for the preparation of multicomponent and sometimes the most unpredictable salads and other dishes, use mayonnaise. It cannot be said that these "masterpieces" will not be tasty, but the true qualities of the "royal" fish will hardly be noticed and appreciated in such a company.

Considering the high cost of salmon meat, many cooks use fish that is cheaper, but similar in taste to it. In the vastness of online publications on culinary topics, you can easily find about fifty recipes of various compositions, which tell you how to cook (more often salt) any other fish "under salmon" at home so that it is difficult to distinguish it from an expensive original, as well as many secrets telling how to replace salmon in recipes without losing the taste of the dishes. It is noteworthy, but most often the fish salted instead of salmon does not differ in taste from the real product, but in all other dishes it is dryish.

Use in cosmetology

The use of salmon in cosmetology is not limited to its use in the form of meat masks, as many will think. The rich vitamin composition of this fish, as well as caviar, allows the production of natural cosmetics in an industrial environment. These skin care products are as good as Korean mineral cosmetics, and in many ways even ahead of them. Such tools are capable of:

regenerate the skin;
saturate the integument with nutrients;
restore elasticity;
smooth out wrinkles;
give a healthy color.

The cost of creams and masks based on salmon products, including ridges, is quite high. Although if we compare it with foreign natural remedies, we can say that it compares favorably. In addition, the consumption of salmon in food proves a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive tract. Thanks to this, hair, nails, and skin become healthy.

Harm and contraindications

A fish such as salmon, in addition to being beneficial, can also harm the human body. The risk group includes not only those consumers who have contraindications for use, but also those who do not follow certain rules.

Salmon should not be eaten by those who:

has an individual intolerance to fish and seafood;
sick with hypertension;
suffering from dysfunction of the pancreas;
has liver disease, including hepatitis;
suffers from kidney disease.

Salmon should be eaten with caution by mothers who breastfeed babies up to three months of age, because the baby's immature digestive system can react to this product by developing a fulminant allergic reaction, including Quincke's edema.

Another fact that does not speak in favor of the use of salmon is the latest research by scientists. They indicate that fish such as salmon have recently become more dangerous in many ways than a century ago. The reason for this was the general pollution of the waters and the atmosphere, as well as the use of growth stimulants, antibiotics, hormonal preparations and feed with dietary supplements, which occurs in nurseries in which this valuable fish breed is bred.

According to microbiologists and ecologists, of all salmon fish, it is salmon that is most susceptible to the accumulation of heavy metal salts. Some of the studied indicators, for example, the level of contamination of meat with mercury, which can cause muscle collapse in the human body and the disorder of its basic functions, reached a critical value in many of the specimens studied. This applies to a greater extent to wild salmon and especially the one that has reached the age of over five years and has an impressive size.

Whether or not to use salmon in the diet, each person must decide for himself. Although the amount of royal fish that the average consumer can afford to purchase, as well as the frequency of use of this product in the diet, is unlikely to cause significant damage to health.

Most salmon are anadromous fish, which means that they are born in rivers, slide into the ocean in fry, where they live and feed, but return to the river for spawning. This is their life cycle: salmon breed only in fresh waters, and after spawning, almost all die. But it is important for the fish to return to the very river in which it was born. It is still not known exactly how the fish finds its way home: most likely, it is helped by the sense of smell and memory of the Earth's magnetic field in the place where it first entered the ocean. But what is important is that the Far Eastern salmon is a child of the wild, which lives in harmony with the water element and gives us the opportunity to draw the strength and energy of the ocean.

Wild Far Eastern salmon: pink salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, sima, chinook salmon, char, taimen, lenok, whitefish

Benefit for health

Wild Far Eastern salmon live in the natural conditions of the Pacific Ocean and the purest deep rivers, feeding on phytoplankton and then on krill and without colliding with civilization and humans. Salmon is rich in the powerful natural antioxidant astaxanthin and omega-3 fatty amino acids, which slow down the aging process. In addition, fatty acids have a beneficial effect on brain cells, improving memory and attention. Experiments in mice indicate that the inclusion of large amounts of Omega-3 in the diet can increase life expectancy by a third.

In addition, salmon meat is rich in potassium, phosphorus, chromium, vitamins B1 and PP. Phosphorus is responsible for the strength of bones and teeth, energy synthesis, and also participates in the construction of cells, so salmon is especially necessary for a growing organism. Potassium helps fight fatigue and depression.

Eating salmon

Strengthens the immune system
Stimulates metabolism
Reduces cholesterol levels
Fights inflammation
Stimulates brain function
It is the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Wild fish caught in the ocean, at the most remote end of our country, cannot be delivered fresh to the buyer for obvious reasons. It is supplied to stores frozen, smoked, salted and canned. In frozen and canned fish, nutrients are preserved as much as possible; however, it is best to choose fish that is processed directly at sea immediately after the catch, so you can be sure of the quality of the product.

The most recognizable salmon

Undoubtedly, everyone will recognize pink salmon, even those who have never seen it. The famous hump on the back, which gave it its name, develops in males during migration to spawning grounds.

The largest salmon

Taimen is the largest representative of the salmon family. It reaches 1.5-2 meters in length and weighs 60 to 80 kilograms.

Most abundant salmon

And this is pink salmon again: it is the most common species among Pacific salmon, both in terms of population size and volume of catch.

The most dietary salmon

Chum salmon is the lowest-calorie salmon fish: it contains 127 kcal per 100 g. For other representatives of wild salmon, the average calorie content of meat is 160 kcal per 100 g. fatty - up to 200 kcal.

The most unusual salmon

This is definitely a char: it is caught only three months a year. He has gray meat, incredible, incomparable taste, and, of course, the benefits of a truly natural product.

The most delicious salmon

Many connoisseurs agree that the most delicious meat among salmon is chinook salmon. For this, the Japanese call her "the prince of salmon", and the Americans - "royal salmon".

You can argue about tastes endlessly, but only one thing is certain: natural fish grown in the wild is the most delicious and healthy. This will be confirmed by anyone who has ever compared the taste of wild Far Eastern salmon and farmed salmon or trout.

The names salmon and trout have long become synonymous with expensive and delicious red fish. Well, red caviar of salmon fish is a famous delicacy, second only in value to black caviar. Salmon fish has always been an object of industrial and sports fishing, and in recent decades they have been increasingly bred in fish farms.

Scientifically classified salmon are the only biological family of the salmon order, which belongs to the class of ray-finned fish. Among the representatives of this family there are both anadromous species and those that live exclusively in fresh water.

Fish of the salmon family are subdivided into three subfamilies:

It is important to understand that the common household names "trout" and "salmon" do not correspond to any one specific species of salmonids. These are generic names that refer rather to the meat of several closely related fish species than to themselves.

Most often, the term "salmon" is understood as a salmon belonging to the genus of noble salmon (it is actually salmon, Atlantic salmon, American salmon, etc.), or salmon going for spawning. At the same time, the word "salmon" appears in the names of at least a dozen other fish belonging to different subfamilies, and in the names of two genera - Pacific and Noble salmon.

A similar situation has developed with trout. In our country, trout are most often called representatives of the species rainbow trout (aka Kamchatka salmon) and brown trout (aka brook or lake trout). But this name is also used in relation to other species, less known in Russia.

However, confusion with names exists not only in everyday life. The scientific classification looks just as confusing. Due to the fact that salmon fish species are distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, as well as due to the significant variability of the exterior within one species, several classifications have appeared in the scientific community, and each species has several names. Not only national names differ, which is generally logical, but even purely scientific Latin terms. Worse, it is not uncommon for the same Latin term to be applied to different species within different classifications.

General information about salmonids

The natural habitat of all species of the salmon family, without exception, is located in the Northern Hemisphere. South of the equator, these fish are found only in places where they were inhabited by humans.

Anadromous salmon fish live in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, as well as in the seas belonging to these oceans (Black, Mediterranean, Baltic and other seas). In addition, many species are freshwater and live in rivers and lakes throughout the temperate and northern regions of the northern hemisphere. In the south, the salmon range reaches the Yangtze River in China, and in Africa, salmon are found in the streams of the Atlas Mountains.

Without exception, all salmonids spawn only in fresh and, importantly, running water, that is, only in rivers and streams. Fish living in flowing lakes spawn on the rapidity of rivers and streams that feed these lakes. The reason for the return of salmon to the rivers is that their ancient ancestors were freshwater, and over time, only a few species migrated to the seas, retaining, however, the instinct to reproduce in fresh water. Anadromous (that is, living in the seas but spawning in rivers) are species that belong to Atlantic salmon and Pacific salmon.

For the vast majority of anadromous fish of the salmon family, spawning is the final stage of life, since they die after spawning. This law is most severe in relation to chum salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon and other Pacific salmon. But, for example, in Atlantic salmon, some individuals survive after spawning, go back to the ocean, and then return to spawn after a year. Individuals can repeat this cycle up to four times, although this is still the exception, not the rule.

Shortly before spawning, radical changes begin in the body of anadromous salmon, affecting both external appearance and internal state. In particular, their body color changes from silver to brighter. Also, the body becomes taller, and in males a hump often grows, which, by the way, was the reason to give the pink salmon its name. The shape of the jaws also changes in salmon, which bend, acquiring a hook-like shape, the teeth become larger. In parallel, the gastrointestinal tract and liver degenerate, and the meat loses its elasticity and becomes fatter. Salmon going for spawning is significantly inferior to ordinary salmon in terms of its marketable and nutritional characteristics.

General description of salmonids

The smallest representatives of salmon are fish of the Sigi genus - from a few centimeters. The largest are actually salmon - up to two meters. And the largest salmon fish, reaching a maximum weight of 70 kg, are taimen, chinook salmon and several other species. Salmon live on average about 5 years, but some - 10-15 years. Record indicators both in weight (more than a centner) and in age (over 50 years) belong to taimen.

Salmonids have a long, flattened body on the sides. There is a lateral line on the torso. The pelvic fins are located in the center of the belly. There are no spiny rays in the pectoral and pelvic fins. There are two fins on the back - the main one in the center and another small fin closer to the tail opposite the anal fin, which is one of the key differences in salmonids. By its presence or absence, it is easy to determine which fish are salmonids and which are not.

Around the mouth from above, salmonids have two pairs of bones - maxillary and premaxillary. Most species of this family have transparent eyelids on the eyes. Females do not have oviducts, or they are in an embryonic state, therefore, eggs from the ovary go directly into the abdominal cavity.

Many species are known for not fully ossifying their skeletons. In particular, the cranium may consist of cartilaginous tissue, and the lateral processes are not attached to the body of the vertebrae.

Salmonids easily adapt their appearance and behavior to the peculiarities of external conditions, which is why there are difficulties with their classification.

Red salmon fish is highly valued in modern cooking, and therefore there is a consistently high demand for it. Red caviar, which is also obtained from these fish, was considered unfit for human consumption for a long time, but today it is an expensive delicacy and is also actively used in cooking.

Salmon has occupied an important place in the economy of many coastal regions for a long time. In addition, it is reliably known that many North American and Far Eastern tribes largely lived off salmon, and if in some year salmon did not go to spawn in their river, this threatened people with starvation, since during spawning salmon was harvested on all year ahead.

Intensive commercial salmon fishing began in the 20th century. The Japanese were especially successful in this, and by the middle of the century they were catching 55-60% of the world's salmon. The rest of the world produced only 40-45%.

Intensive reckless fishing led to the fact that already in the 1950s and 1960s, the salmon population declined dramatically. The result was not only a decrease in catch volumes, but also the collapse of the economies of many coastal cities and towns. A typical example of this was the so-called Drifter Catastrophe, which befell dozens of settlements in Soviet Kamchatka during this period.

Today, the catch of sea salmon fish is very limited, and fishermen who want to catch it must receive a quota for this. For example, in Kamchatka, one vessel is allowed to catch about 600 tons of salmon per season. Ordinary local residents who want to catch fish with a line are issued coupons allowing them to catch a small amount of salmon for personal consumption.

The situation is somewhat milder with freshwater species, which not only spawn, but also live in fresh water bodies. However, grayling and whitefish are much smaller, and the volume of fish mass in fresh water bodies is an order of magnitude less than in the sea. All this leads to the fact that these fish species are of interest mainly for sport fishing, but not for industrial catch.

A decrease in the volume of salmon caught in the seas and rivers, with a constant increase in demand for it, has led to a natural result - the artificial breeding of salmon fish has become a very profitable direction of entrepreneurial activity. This branch of fish farming is especially well developed in countries where salmon was previously harvested commercially. Norway has achieved the greatest success in this matter, whose shores have ideal conditions for raising salmon in the fjords. On these offshore farms, the Norwegians grow about 1 million tonnes of salmon per year, providing half of the world market for this product.

Salmon is a valuable delicacy product. Usually it is eaten after heat treatment, but in some dishes it is used lightly salted, dried, or in its natural form.

For European cuisine, the most traditional way of cooking salmon is baking in the oven, frying in a pan, or grilling (or barbecue). In oriental cuisines, salmon fish (pink salmon, chum salmon, etc.) is actively used in soups and salads, and the Japanese make their famous sushi from salmon. At home, salmon is often pickled and smoked, used in complex dishes (soups, casseroles, pies, pates, salads, etc.)

Salmon meat has an average fat content - about 6%, protein content - about 20%. At the same time, salmon contains a lot of vitamins A and B, as well as minerals and trace elements. The calorie content of 100 grams of salmon averages about 140 kcal, which makes it one of the most nutritious types of fish.

The substances contained in salmon help the body regulate cholesterol levels, maintain the cardiovascular system in good condition, and normalize the functioning of the heart muscle, brain, liver and kidneys. But the benefits of salmon fish are not limited to this. Consuming salmon meat regularly reduces the likelihood of tumors, strokes, diabetes, Alzheimer's and other diseases. Potassium and calcium, which are rich in salmon, are the building blocks of bones and muscles.

Do not forget about red caviar, which is considered an expensive delicacy. Unlike the unimaginably expensive black caviar, which only very wealthy people can afford, red caviar is available even to ordinary citizens who can pamper themselves with it during festive feasts.

Salmon caviar (red caviar) can be used as an independent dish (served on the table in small salad bowls with a spoon), but most often it is taken to prepare all kinds of snacks - sandwiches, tartlets, canapes, etc. Caviar is added to salads, used as a filling in pancakes and other dough products. In Japanese cuisine, red caviar is used to make sushi. Finally, it is ideal as a decoration for many cold dishes and snacks.

Description of salmon

All salmonids belong to the category of fish that are very easily capable of changing their lifestyle, their usual appearance, and also the main characteristic coloration, depending on the characteristics of external conditions.

Appearance

The standard body length of adults varies from a few centimeters to a couple of meters, and the maximum weight is 68-70 kg. The structure of the body of representatives of the order Salmoniformes resembles the appearance of fish belonging to the large order Herringiformes. Among other things, until recently, the Salmonidae family was ranked as a herring, but then it was allocated to a completely independent order - Salmoniformes.

The body of the fish is long, with a noticeable compression on the sides, covered with cycloidal and round or comb-edged scales, which easily fall off. The pelvic fins are of a multi-ray type, located in the middle part of the belly, and the pectoral fins of an adult fish are of a low-sitting type, without the presence of spiny rays. The pair of dorsal fins of the fish is represented by the present and the following anal fins. The presence of a small adipose fin is a characteristic feature and one of the distinctive features of representatives of the order Salmoniformes.

It is interesting! A distinctive feature of the dorsal fin of salmonids is the presence of ten to sixteen rays, while representatives of grayling have 17-24 rays.

The swim bladder of the fish, as a rule, is connected to the esophagus by a special canal, and the salmon mouth has an upper border with four bones - two premaxillary and a pair of maxillary bones. Females differ in the oviducts of the embryonic type or do not have them at all, therefore, all ripening eggs from the ovary easily fall into the body cavity. The fish intestine is characterized by the presence of numerous pyloric appendages. Most of the species have transparent eyelids. Many salmonids differ in an incompletely ossified skeletal part, and part of the cranium is represented by cartilage and lateral processes that are not accreted to the vertebrae.

Classification, types of salmon

The Salmon family is represented by three subfamilies:

three genera of the Whitefish subfamily;
seven genera of the subfamily of salmonids proper;
one genus of the subfamily Grayling.

All representatives of the Salmonidae subfamily are medium to large in size, have small scales, as well as a large mouth with well-developed and strong teeth. The food type of this subfamily is mixed or carnivorous.

The main types of salmon:

American and arctic char, kunja;
Ishkhan;
, chinook salmon;
North American Christiwomer;
Brown trout;
Lenok;
Steelhead Salmon, Clark;
or Noble Salmon;
Sima or Mazu;
Danube, Sakhalin Taimen.

The main difference between the Sigi subfamily and salmonids proper is represented by details in the structure of the skull, a relatively small mouth and larger scales. The subfamily Grayling is characterized by the presence of a very long and high dorsal fin, which can have a plume appearance and bright coloration. All grayling are freshwater fish.

Behavior and lifestyle

Salmon are typical anadromous fish that constantly live in sea or lake water, and rise into rivers solely for the purpose of procreation. The vital activity of different species is similar, but it has some specific specific features. As a rule, upon reaching the age of five years, salmon enter the fast waters of rapids and rivers, sometimes going upstream for several kilometers. The temporal data on the entry of salmon into river waters are not the same and can vary significantly.

For anchorage in river waters during the pre-spawning period, salmon mainly choose not too deep and not very fast places, characterized by the presence of sandy-pebble or stony bottom soil. Most often, such sites are located near spawning grounds, but above rapids or rapids.

It is interesting! In sea waters, salmon are capable of developing a sufficiently high speed when moving - up to one hundred kilometers in one day, but in the river the speed of movement of such fish slows down very noticeably.

In the process of staying in such areas, salmon “lag”, therefore their color darkens noticeably and a hook is formed on the jaw, which is especially pronounced in males of this family. The color of the fish meat during this period becomes paler, and the total amount of fat decreases characteristically, which is due to the lack of sufficient nutrition.

Life span

The total lifespan of salmonids is no more than ten years, but some species are quite capable of living for about a quarter of a century. Taimi currently hold the record for body size and average life expectancy. To date, an individual of this species has been officially registered, weighing a record 105 kg with a body length of 2.5 m.

Habitat, habitats

Salmon inhabit almost the entire northern part of the globe, which is why there is an active commercial interest in such fish.

Ishkhan, a valuable gourmet fish, lives in the waters of Lake Sevan. The mass fishing of the sovereign master of the Pacific expanses - chum salmon is conducted not only in our country, but also in America.

The main habitats of brown trout include many European rivers, as well as the waters of the White, Baltic, Black and Aral Seas. Mazu or Sima is a resident of the Asian part of the Pacific waters, and a very large fish lives in all rivers in Siberia.

Salmon diet

The diet, habitual for Salmon, is quite varied. As a rule, in the stomachs of adults there are small pelagic fish and their juveniles, as well as various crustaceans, pelagic winged molluscs, juveniles of squid and worms. Somewhat less often, small comb jellies and jellyfish are fed to adult fish.

For example, the main food for juvenile salmon is most often represented by the larvae of various aquatic insects. However, the parr is quite capable of feeding along with other predatory fish char, sculpin and many species of small fish. The diet of salmonids can vary markedly according to the season and habitat.

Reproduction and offspring

In northern river waters, the spawning period occurs in the second half of September or October, with average water temperatures in the range of 0-8 ° C. In the southern regions, Salmonids spawn from October to January, at a water temperature of 3-13 ° C. The caviar is deposited in recesses dug in the bottom soil, after which it is not sprinkled too much with a mixture based on pebbles and sand.

It is interesting! The behavior of salmonids during the migration and spawning period changes; therefore, during the ascent stage, the fish are very active, play intensively and can jump out of the water high enough, but closer to the spawning process, such jumps become extremely rare.

After spawning, the fish grows thin and weakens quickly, as a result of which a significant part of it dies, and all surviving individuals partially go into the sea or lake waters, but can remain in the rivers until the onset of spring.

In rivers, spawned salmonids do not go far from the spawning area, but are able to move to the deepest and quietest places. In spring, young individuals appear from spawned eggs, similar in appearance to pied trout... In river waters fry spend from one to five years.

During such a time period, individuals can grow up to 15-18 cm in length. Before rolling into the sea or lake waters, the juveniles lose their characteristic speckled color and the scales acquire a silvery color. It is in the seas and lakes that salmon begin to actively feed and quickly gain weight.