Marine Growth of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar ) in the Northwest Atlantic

The fishery for Atlantic salmon in the west Greenland area has provided useful data for the study of marine growth of salmon. Length data from seaward migrating smolts, post-smolts, and 1-, 2-, and 3-sea-winter feeders taken at sea and 1-, 2-, and 3-sea-winter spawners taken by commercial fisheries,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
Main Authors: Allen, K. Radway, Saunders, Richard L., Elson, Paul F.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1972
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f72-215
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f72-215
Description
Summary:The fishery for Atlantic salmon in the west Greenland area has provided useful data for the study of marine growth of salmon. Length data from seaward migrating smolts, post-smolts, and 1-, 2-, and 3-sea-winter feeders taken at sea and 1-, 2-, and 3-sea-winter spawners taken by commercial fisheries, angling, and research traps, have been used to construct a tentative growth curve. Fish which spawned after 1 sea-winter (grilse) were smaller at the time of spawning than fish of the same smolt-class which had not matured but were still actively feeding at sea. Similarly, 2-sea-winter spawners were smaller than salmon which would not have returned until after a third sea winter. The growth rate of salmon during the summer prior to spawning was lower than that of fish which would have spawned a year or more later and appears to be about the same as that during the preceding winter.