AnimalsSalmon hatch in rivers, swim to the sea to grow, and then return to the river where they were born to breed, leaping up waterfalls on the way. They find their home river partly by smell.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Salmo salar
- Group
- Fish
- Diet
- Carnivore (eats other animals)
- Lives in
- North Atlantic Ocean and its rivers
- Habitat
- Rivers and the open sea
- A young one is called
- fry, parr, then smolt
- A group is called
- run or school
- Conservation status
- Near Threatened
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
- Order Salmoniformes
- Family Salmonidae
- Genus Salmo
- Species Salmo salar
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The Atlantic salmon is listed as Near Threatened. The species is not yet classed as threatened, but it is close and may become so soon.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.