Salmon: Glossary

A

alevin

young salmon shortly after hatching that still have the yolk sac attached

anadromous

(Greek for "running upward") fish that are born in fresh water, move to salt water to feed, and return to fresh water to spawn

B

barges

flat boats used for hauling

C

camouflage

the ability to hide or blend into the environment

catadromous

fish that are born in salt water, move to fresh water to feed, and return to salt water to spawn

commercial

related to earning money

D

depression

deeper spot in the stream bottom

diadromous

fish that can live in fresh and salt water, at different times in their lives

downstream

moving in the direction of water flow

drought

a period of low rainfall

E

extinction

none of a species lives any more

F

fry

stage of a salmon's life between alevin and smolt - about 1 and a quarter inches long

G

genetics

the science of passing traits from one generation to the next - from parent to child

H

hatcheries

a place for hatching eggs

homing

the behavior of returning home to the place in the stream where hatching took place

L

lateral

along the side of the fish about midway between the dorsal fin and the pelvic fin

M

migrate (migration)

to move from one habitat or region to another seasonally

O

olfactory receptors

the nerves of a body that respond to smells

onchorhynchus

scientific name for salmon and related fish

opercula

part of a body that functions as a lid or covering - parts of the gill

P

parr marks

stripes on the sides of a young salmon fry

predation

the act of being a predator

predator

an animal that hunts for its food

R

redd

the nests dug in the gravel by female salmon

reservoir

a man-made lake for water storage behind a dam

S

scales

the outer layer of a fish's body - small overlapping plate-like structures

school

the group name for a collection of fish

sediment

a collection of dirt and organic matter that settles to the bottom of bodies of water

smolt

salmon of a certain size (generally 4-7 inches) as they begin seaward migration and smoltification

smoltification

process of changes that young salmon undergo when they get ready to live in salt water

spawn (spawning)

to release eggs or the process of releasing eggs

T

turbine

part of a dam responsible for creating electricity, a spinning machine

U

upstream

in the opposite direction of water flow

V

vertebrate

animals with backbones

Z

zooplankton

one celled animals