Salmon Eggs:

Trees help keep salmon eggs healthy.  The roots of trees that grow along rivers and streams stop soil from sliding into the water.  As a result, the water flowing around salmon eggs stays clean.  Trees also provide shade, which keeps the eggs from becoming too warm.

Alevins:

Many alevins hatch in early spring.  Alevins do not look like adult salmon.  Their bodies are only about one inch long.

Fry and Par:

When young salmon go out to find food, they are called fry.  Fry have fins, teeth, and scales.  They are twice as big as alevins are.  When most fry are a few months old, they become parr.  Parr have dark oval parr marks on their bodies.  The dark spots make parr less noticeable to predators.

Smolts:

When fry and parr are ready to leave their freshwater habitats, they are called smolts.  Most smolts are between one and six inches long and weigh less than four ounces.  Smolts look like a small adult salmon.

Fully Grown Salmon:

When a smelt enters the ocean, it is a salmon.  While living in salt water, salmon may swim over one thousand miles.

Mature Salmon:

A mature salmon isa salmon that is long lasting.