Importance of the Variation in Life History Parameters of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) demonstrate great variability in their life history; individuals from a given year-class can spawn during several years and can, therefore, breed with salmon from other year-classes. Atlantic salmon can mature after 1–4 sea-winters and some males mature as parr, during the second through fifth years, before going to sea. Salmon may survive to spawn more than once; some spawn several times. This variability in life history may be a safeguard against loss of small stocks through several successive years of reproductive failure, since nonspawning individuals in the river or at sea could spawn in subsequent years. Spawning populations are frequently quite small. The effective spawning population size may be potentially much larger, however, since members of several year-classes, including sexually mature male parr and anadromous adults of various ages, contribute to spawning. The level of inbreeding may be relatively low, since a number of year-classes, each with different sets of parents, are represented during spawning.