Fish thrives in freshwater and seawater: Atlantic salmon

Salmon can spend part of their lives in freshwater and part in seawater due to adaptive changes in their physiology.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

	Maintain physical integrity >
	Regulate physiological processes >
	Cellular processes

Biomimetic Application Ideas

Bioremediation technologies that function in both marine and freshwater environments.

> Visit strategy page

[Collapse all sections] Summary

"The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) begins its life in a river, in the wild mountain streams of Norway or Scotland, hatching from an egg there in springtime. The salmon usually spends up to four years in the river before beginning the outward phase of its marathon migration as a smolt (a young salmon ready to migrate to the sea), traveling downriver to the ocean. During this period, the smolt's physiology adapts to enable it to live in seawater." (Shuker 2001:76)

About the inspiring organism

Salmon
Salmo salar Linnaeus, 1758
[Atlantic salmon, Bay salmon, Black salmon, Breeder, Caplin-scull salmon, Common Atlantic salmon, Fiddler, Grayling, Grilse, Grilt, Kelt, Kippered salmon, Landlocked salmon, N. Atlantic salmon, Ouananiche, Ouinanish, Outside salmon, Parr, Salmon peel, Sea]

IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern
Habitat(s): Marine Coastal/Supratidal, Marine Neritic, Marine Oceanic, Wetlands

Some organism data provided by: FishBase
Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist

Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Bioremediation technologies that function in both marine and freshwater environments.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Coastal remediation

References

Shuker, KPN. 2001. The Hidden Powers of Animals: Uncovering the Secrets of Nature. London: Marshall Editions Ltd. 240 p.

Fish thrives in freshwater and seawater: Atlantic salmon

Content tools

Curator of this page

Comments