# What Do Atlantic Salmons Eat?

> What atlantic salmons eat: Carnivore, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in North Atlantic rivers and ocean.

- **Species:** Atlantic Salmon (*Salmo salar*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore
- **Habitat:** North Atlantic rivers and ocean
- **Lifespan:** 4–8 years
- **Top speed:** Around 40 km/h (25 mph) in bursts
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/salmon/what-do-salmon-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/salmon/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a powerful migratory fish of the North Atlantic, hatching in rivers, maturing at sea, and returning upstream to spawn. Adults typically weigh 3 to 15 kg (7 to 33 lb) and can swim in bursts of around 40 km/h (25 mph), leaping waterfalls on their way home. Wild salmon usually live 4 to 8 years and are listed as Least Concern, though many local populations are in serious decline.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## The upstream migration

Atlantic salmon are famous for returning from the ocean to spawn in the very river where they hatched, often the exact stretch of gravel. To reach the spawning grounds they swim upriver against strong currents and leap over waterfalls and rapids, reaching burst speeds of around 40 km/h (25 mph). They appear to navigate using the Earth's magnetic field on the open ocean and then their sense of smell to pick out their home river.

## Help protect the Atlantic Salmon

Ocean wildlife is under mounting pressure from overfishing, bycatch and plastic pollution.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/salmon/what-do-salmon-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.