{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "salmon",
  "name": "Atlantic Salmon",
  "scientificName": "Salmo salar",
  "category": "Fish",
  "summary": "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.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Actinopterygii",
    "order": "Salmoniformes",
    "family": "Salmonidae",
    "genus": "Salmo"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 4.5,
    "lengthM": 0.9,
    "topSpeedKmh": 40,
    "lifespanYears": 8
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Salmo salar"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "North Atlantic rivers and ocean"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "4–8 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "3–15 kg (7–33 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Around 40 km/h (25 mph) in bursts"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Rivers and coastal waters of the North Atlantic, from northeastern North America to Europe.",
    "continents": [
      "North America",
      "Europe",
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Salmo salar.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Salmo%20salar&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Salmo salar. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Salmo_salar/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Atlantic Salmon.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_salmon"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/salmon/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/salmon/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}