When a smolt enters the ocean it becomes a salmon.  Salmon may swim over one thousand miles.  Salmon grow rapidly after entering saltwater habitats.

Fry are twice the size of alevin.  They are about 3-4 cm.  They have teeth, scales and fins. If they develop black marks, they are called Parr. These marks help to camouflage them.  For food they eat insects, plankton and fish eggs.  Some of their predators are birds and large fish. Fry and Parr are awesome!

Alevin are about 1 inch in length.  They have a tiny tail and no fins when they hatch and a yoke sac attached to their belly.  The Alevin grow quickly as they get their food from it’s own yolk sac.

They live in a redd with rocks and woody debris because they need to hide from predators.  Predators are fish and birds like trout and blue herons.

Alevin are awesome!

Salmon lie their eggs  in gravel where they stay through the winter, as the embryos within develop. In early spring, yolk-sac, or alevins, hatch. The tiny fish carry a food supply (a sac of yolk) attached to their bellies. They will not leave the protection of the gravel until the yolk is used up, this stage lasts about 12 weeks. The Salmon in the library are in the alevin stage.

Grateful!

I am grateful I got to travel to California to be with my family for Thanksgiving.  I got to see my Grammy, Papa, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins.  It was hot weather and we got to go to the zoo.  I even got to feed the Giraffe!