The next stage in the salmon life cycle is the alevin.  Do you want to learn about it?  Alevin are about 1 inch long.  They have a tiny tail and fins when they hatch and have a yolk sac attached to their belly.  They live in a redd with rocks and woody debris because they need to hide from predators.  Do you know how alevin get their food?  Alevin get their food from the yolk sac.  The alevin grows quickly as it gets nutrients from its yolk sac.  Fish and birds are alevin predators, like trout and blue heron.  Different types of salmon have different looking alevin.  Alevin rock!

 

 

The first stage in the life cycle of salmon is egg.  The egg is about the size of a pea.  It is soft and an orangish-red color.  The eggs have two black dots that are the eyes.  The egg needs to be in cool, clean, water.  They are layed by the female in a redd.  A nest is also called a redd.  Trees along the stream provide shade to keep the water cool, and to help stop erosion.  The eggs are hidden in rocky gravel to protect them from predators.  Eggs contain an embryo.  There is a yolk sac attached to each embryo.  The yolk sac holds yolk, which is the embryo’s food.  Predators are birds like ducks and fish like trout.  Humans also eat salmon eggs.  Only three out of three thousand salmon eggs survive to be adults.  Salmon rock!