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

• 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: General Medicine; Greenland; Atlantic salmon; Northwest Atlantic; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f72-215; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f72-215

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.