Atlantic Salmon Returning for Their Fifth and Sixth Consecutive Spawning Trips

Abstract

Six female Atlantic salmon (Salmo solar L.) were captured in Big Salmon River, New Brunswick, in August and September 1967. Examination of the scales revealed that four of these fish had spawned four times and two had spawned five times. All were in fresh water at the time of capture and all had commenced erosion at the margin of their scales. Although many of the previously formed growth rings were destroyed by erosion, enough of the scale patterns were left to permit the interpretation of the life histories of the fish.