Discrimination between Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) of North American and European origin

• Published in: ICES Journal of Marine Science
• Main Author: Reddin, D. G.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 1986
• Subjects: Articles; Greenland; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/43/1/50; https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/43.1.50

In this paper, scale characters were used to develop and test a statistical model to classify Atlantic salmon( Salmo salar L.) caught at West Greenland as either North American or European in origin. In particular, scale samples collected in 1980 from salmon caught in Europe and North America were used as “learning” samples to identify variables and form a database. Stepwise discriminant analysis in which variables are entered one at each step or stage was used to select the best variables. It indicated that out of 10 meristic variables counts of circuli in the summer and winter portions of the first sea zone measured at 45° from thelongitudinal axis of the scale were the best discriminators between North American and European salmon. A quadratic discriminant analysis was identified as the most appropriate technique to classify salmon as either North American or European in origin. A “test” sample of known origin, independent of the “learning” database used for discriminant analysis, indicated misclassifications of only 2%.