Organism
Atlantic Salmon
TL;DR
Atlantic salmon represent the iteroparous (reproduce-multiple-times) counterpart to Pacific salmon's semelparous strategy.
Atlantic salmon represent the iteroparous (reproduce-multiple-times) counterpart to Pacific salmon's semelparous strategy. After spawning, Atlantic salmon return to the ocean, recover, eat, and spawn again 2-3 more times over their lives. While reproductive output per spawning is lower (2,000 eggs vs 4,000), total lifetime output is higher (6,000-8,000 eggs across multiple spawnings). This strategy evolved for more stable river environments where survival between spawning events is viable, making repeated reproduction advantageous over single-event maximization.
Notable Traits of Atlantic Salmon
- Iteroparous reproduction
- 2-3 spawning events per lifetime
- 2,000 eggs per spawning (6,000-8,000 lifetime)
- Post-spawning recovery and return to ocean
- Balanced allocation strategy