19 Şubat 2013 Salı

Maine State Fish

Maine State Fish

Landlocked Salmon (common name)
Salmo salar Sebago (scientific name)

Overview

Landlocked salmon is a subspecies of Atlantic salmon. The fish live their entire lives in the freshwater lakes of the northern United States and Canada and never migrate to sea. Maine is one of the few places in the world where the landlocked salmon exists. The fish was originally confined to four river basins in Maine (the St. Croix, Union, Penobscot, and Presumpscot) until 1868, when eggs were introduced to other lakes. Now the landlocked salmon can be found in 176 lakes over 500,000 acres in Maine.
Adults are silver with a slightly forked tail and small X-shaped markings on the back and upper sides. Young salmon have a dark red spot between a pair of dark marks on their sides. They spend their first two or three years in the spawning rivers and then move into Sebago Lake to begin feeding on smelt, insects, and other prey. Even though adult salmon do not migrate, mature males still develop a "kype" (hooked jaw) during the spawning season. The landlocked salmon was designated the official state fish of Maine in 1969.

Close-up

STATUS
Official
PHYSICAL DETAILS
Length: 36-60 in (91-152 cm)
Weight: Up to 22.5 lbs (10 kg);average of 5 lbs (2.3 kg)
LIFESPAN
6 years
HABITAT
Range: Far northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada
Water type: Fresh and occasionally brackish
Water temp: 53-59°F (11.66-15°C)
Conservation Status: Least Concern
DIET
Insects, crustaceans, and small fish (especially smelt)
REPRODUCTION
Fertilization: External
Spawning frequency: May October to Late November
Mating behavior: Distinct pairing
Egg laying: The female creates a depression called a "redd" in a streambed by brushing aside small gravel in water 4–12 inches (10–30 cm) deep, laying the eggs and covering them. Eggs are then fertilized by males and remain buried until they hatch early the next spring.
USES
Game Fish
OTHER NAMES
Channel cat, Great Lakes catfish, willow cat, forked-tail cat, spotted cat, lady cat
TRIVIA
  • The landlocked salmon’s scientific name is derived from Sebago Lake in Cumberland County, one of the original habitats of this rare fish.
  • The salmon had access to the Atlantic Ocean until dams started being built in the 1800s, so the fish weren’t originally landlocked.

Click to enlarge an image
State Fish
Illustration of Atlantic Salmon
State Fish
Close-up of Atlantic Salmon
State Fish
Atlantic Salmon Breeding River
State Fish
Atlantic Salmon Farm

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Osteichthyes
Order:Salmoniformes
Family:Salmonidae
Genus:Salmo
Species:S. salar
Subspecies:S. s. Sebago
Raw Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Author: World Trade Press

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