Salmon are one of the few species of fish on Earth that are anadromous. Anadromous is the term used to describe fish that have the ability to live in both fresh and saltwater. During the salmon season, which typically runs October through December, salmon travel upstream from the ocean to return to their spawn site (their place of birth).
About the Species Atlantic salmon, also known as the “King of Fish,” are anadromous, which means they live in both fresh and saltwater. Atlantic salmon have a complex life history that begins with spawning and juvenile rearing in rivers.
Because fresh water is low in sodium, salmon need their gill cells to pump it in as they swim downstream. But once they enter the ocean, sodium is overly abundant, requiring them to pump it out. Salmon also have to pump out the chloride ions (Cl-) that result from dissolved ocean salt.
Some fish are able to survive in freshwater or saltwater, this means they can adjust their body to expel or retain salt. Most of these fish will need to be slowly acclimated to survive in the different conditions. I will say this is likely an extremely simplified version, this is my understanding as someone who is interested in ornamental fish.
Do salmon live in the ocean?
Salmon are remarkable creatures. Most other fish spend their entire lives in either a river or the ocean, but not salmon. They live in both saltwater and freshwater. The salmon covers vast distances in its life.
Some grow larger in saltwater, some don’t eat when they are in freshwater rivers, some die after spawning in freshwater, and so forth. All salmon are classified as anadromous, a term derived from Greek words that mean upward (ana) and running (dromos).
Are freshwater salmon and saltwater salmon the same?
9/4/2019 Freshwater salmon and saltwater salmon are the same species. In North America, these include Atlantic salmon, of which there is just one species, and five Pacific salmon species: coho, chinook, pink, sockeye, and chum. There are, however, many differences in behavior and physiology between freshwater salmon and saltwater salmon.