Salmo salar, commonly known as the Atlantic Salmon, is an anadromous fish, meaning it migrates from the ocean to freshwater rivers to spawn. Distinguished by its silvery body with a sleek, torpedo shape, it exhibits remarkable leaping abilities. Atlantic Salmon play a crucial role in nutrient cycling in both marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Salmo salar, commonly known as the Atlantic salmon, is native to the North Atlantic Ocean and rivers that flow into it. This species is found on both the eastern coast of North America and the western coast of Europe, including countries such as Canada, the United States (particularly in New England), Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain.

Atlantic salmon inhabit both freshwater and marine environments during different stages of their life cycle. They are anadromous, meaning they are born in freshwater, migrate to the ocean to grow, and return to freshwater to spawn. In freshwater, they prefer cool, well-oxygenated rivers and streams with gravelly or rocky substrates, which are suitable for spawning. In the marine phase, they live in the open ocean, where water temperatures range from 4 to 12 degrees Celsius.

Salmo salar occupies a unique ecological niche, as they are both freshwater and marine predators. As juveniles in freshwater, they feed on aquatic insects and invertebrates. In the ocean, they prey on smaller fish species, such as capelin and herring, as well as crustaceans. The species plays a critical role in nutrient cycling between marine and freshwater ecosystems, transporting marine-derived nutrients upstream to river systems.