December 2018

Spawning – this month, adult male and female salmon pair up in the headwaters to spawn. The fish undergo marked transformations prior to spawning, becoming coloured and with males often developing distinctive hooked jaws. Males vigorously compete for female partners in the spawning areas.

The female lays the orange eggs in a depression excavated in the river gravels – this is called the redd. She lays about 1100 eggs for every 1 kg she weighs. After fertilisation by the male, the female covers the eggs with gravels to protect them.