Aggressive and Dominant Atlantic Salmons

Tuesday, 27 March 2007

The Atlantic Salmons are relatively similar in habitat, ecology, behavior, and formation with their counterpart, the Pacific Salmon. However, distinct about the Atlantic salmon is that, unlike the Pacific Salmon, which automatically dies after spawning, the Atlantic salmon does not. The Atlantic salmon has a mechanism to rebuild and recondition itself that allows them to prepare to migrate back to the sea, thereby permitting them the spawning process repeatedly. One more thing that is distinctly particular about adult Atlantic salmon is its being more aggressive and dominant compared to the pacific, salmon. The Atlantic salmon is more likely able to attack other fishes due to its territorial behavior. At a certain point when they become invasive threat, they attack all aquatic organisms trying to invade their dominion including their salmon counterparts and relatives such as Chinook and Coho salmons.

The Atlantic salmon belonging to the family of the Salmonidae is very popularly known as the Salmo Salar, a scientific binomial name coined by the renowned zoologist and taxonomist Carolus Linnaeus. Salmo Salar, Latin terms which when translated would mean Salmon and Leaper, are fishes that are generally inhabit in the northern Atlantic Oceans and the large rivers found also in the Atlantic. Although, anadromous fish by nature, Atlantic Salmon does not require salt water to survive and that huge number of “landlocked” species have known to have lived and survived in the Northern part of the Hemisphere.

Due to its chromatic metamorphosis and flavory taste, Atlantic salmon has gained awesome popularity to common fish hunters. They have been one of the favorite preys not only by humans but by some aquatic life, too, like the Greenland Sharks, skate, and cod to name a few. This has brought alarming attention to some aquatic preservationist and advocates. There has been a massive decrease in the number of salmons, both the Pacific and Atlantic, due to the unregulated fishing. Adding to that factor is the grave threat and destruction of the fish’s natural habitats and estuary brought about by man’s very ambitious goal towards industrialization.

Preservationists have facilitated quite a few rules that govern and protect this threatened and extinct marine life through thorough and large massive campaigns. Quite a few laws were also enacted by several councils all over the world in a joint effort by countries like Scotland, Canada, United States and Denmark to name a few.

To help out in the deteriorating number of surviving hatched eggs, an artificial method of spawning procedure was developed. The adult male salmon and female salmon are technologically anaesthetized when successful, the egg of the female and sperm of the male are being taken out and are joined together, amalgamated to produce fertilized eggs and are brought into freshwater where they will be hatched. Following the reproducing process done naturally by the salmon spawners, humans have developed a sanctuary for both spawners and the alevins until a certain period of time. Generally, the procedure, which contains also a sanctuary that prevents predators from preying the salmons, is seen to be helping out to the least, the near extinction of the salmons.