Salmon were studied earlier than some may think. Experiments were done by men that date back to the mid-1600s. These experiments involved catching salmon in fresh water, tagging them, and then catching them again when they return to the same place, around six months later. These experiments were doubtful and it was not until the beginning of the 1900's that proof was available that the salmon returned home. (Shearer)

Although usually drab in color before the breeding season, which varies with the species, members of the salmon family develop bright hues at spawning time. The male, during this mating season, usually develops a hooked snout and a humped back. "In many diverse taxa, males of the same species often e

The female fish (hen) creates a depression in the gravel bed of the river by an energetic flapping of her large tail. The male (cock) fish swims up beside her and begins to quiver, stimulating the female to release her eggs, at the same time the male releases his milt which fertilises the eggs. Once the mating has been completed the female again starts to beat the river bed with her tail, this time just above the site where she laid her eggs, this causes gravel to wash downstream with the current and cover the eggs.

In the life cycle of the pacific salmon, nature recycles the parents to feed the babies. Mature salmon leave the Pacific Ocean as saltwater fish, never again to eat as they battle their way up the Columbia River to spawn in the home stream where they were born. Those born in the upper reaches of the Columbia River's tributary stream, the Snake River, travel more than 1,000 miles inland to lay their eggs and fertilize them, roughly one fourth of the distance across the United States. Without enough reserves

Abstract: The influence of sperm competition and individual mating behaviour in an externally fertilizing species of fish, the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), is estimated from video observations of multiple-male spawnings and subsequent paternity analyses. One male dominated the paternity during polygamous spawnings, fathering more than 80% of the progeny in a single nest. Behavioural analyses of the spawnings showed that the first-mating male had sperm precedence in 6 out of 10 cases. In three of the other spawnings, sperm limitation likely influenced individual success, as the first-mating male had participated in a large number of spawnings. In the final, nearly simultaneous spawning, male size was more important than the 0.6-s difference in spawning times. Thus, male fertilization success can be influenced by a variety of factors, including sperm precedence, male size, and spawning history. Back to Table of Contents

Micro-organisms in the water decompose their bodies during the winter, and this process increases the population of micro-organisms in the stream. Come spring, the salmon eggs hatch into the tiny fish called "fry." The first food is the microorganisms in the stream. The Pacific salmon never see their parents, but are actually nourished by their decomposed bodies. The next step in growth is "fingerlings," then young salmon make the dangerous trip downstream, past dams and waterfalls to the ocean. There they grow into adults, averaging six pounds in weight. In its life cycle, the pacific salmon takes

Some common words found in the essay are:
, Snakes Nature, Atlantic Salmon, Table Contents, Snake River, Atlantic Pacific, Northern Hemisphere, Columbia River, atlantic salmon, pacific salmon, Pacific Ocean, normal males, Chapman Hall, mating trials she-males, first-mating male, competitive mating, mating trials, female mimicry, red-sided garter, garter snakes, male size, competitive mating trials, crews david female, mason robert crews, robert crews david,
Approximate Word count = 1868
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)