anadromous
Sea-to-stream swimmers
Anadromous describes fish that migrate from the sea into freshwater rivers to spawn.
Salmon are the classic example—born in rivers, they mature in the ocean, then return upstream to breed and die.
The opposite pattern, freshwater to sea, is catadromous.
Salmon ready for saltwater
- fryCook in hot fat
- alevinLarval salmon stage
- parrImmature salmon with markings
- juvenileYoung person or animal
smoltification · maturation · metamorphosis · seaward · outmigration · growth · development · transformation
Pink-fleshed migratory fish
- steelheadAnadromous rainbow trout
- sturgeonLarge armored fish
- shadCoastal herring variety
- herringSmall silvery Atlantic fish
alewife · lamprey · smelt · capelin · whitefish · chinook · sockeye · coho
Toward a river's origin
- homingSteering toward a target
- navigationDetermining position and course
- olfactoryOf the sense detecting odors
- imprintingRapid early learning attachment
Tidal mixing zone
- riverLarge flowing watercourse
- tributaryStream entering larger river
- headwatersRiver's starting point
- watershedDrainage area boundary
riparian · freshwater · marine · coastal · stream · delta · confluence · floodplain
Reproductive cells in shells
- miltFish sperm gland
- fertilizationGamete fusion creating zygote
- roeAquatic reproductive material
- spawnersOrganisms that produce offspring
courtship · nest · breeding · gametes · incubation · hatch · senescence · carcass
At risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- hatcheryEgg incubation facility
- overfishingUnsustainable marine harvest
- bycatchNon-target species caught accidentally
smolt
Salmon ready for saltwater
juvenile · smoltification · maturation · metamorphosis · seaward · outmigration · growth · development · transformation · osmoregulation
salmon
Pink-fleshed migratory fish
herring · alewife · lamprey · smelt · capelin · whitefish · chinook · sockeye · coho · chum
upstream
Toward a river's origin
- homingSteering toward a target
- navigationDetermining position and course
- olfactoryOf the sense detecting odors
imprinting · journey · cyclical · innate · endurance
estuary
Tidal mixing zone
- riverLarge flowing watercourse
- tributaryStream entering larger river
- headwatersRiver's starting point
watershed · riparian · freshwater · marine · coastal · stream · delta · confluence · floodplain · pool
eggs
Reproductive cells in shells
- miltFish sperm gland
- fertilizationGamete fusion creating zygote
- roeAquatic reproductive material
spawners · courtship · nest · breeding · gametes · incubation · hatch · senescence · carcass · nutrients
endangered
At risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- hatcheryEgg incubation facility
- overfishingUnsustainable marine harvest
bycatch · culvert · monitoring