CLASSROOM SALMON EGG INCUBATION PROGRAM
Activity: Questions on the Salmon Life Cycle
The Life Cycle of the Salmonid
IncubationCam Home
Answer on a separate piece of paper or in a notebook.
1. Every animal has some way of protecting itself from predators. At each stage of its life
cycle the salmon protects itself. Use each of the life cycle stages of the salmon and
beside the stage describe how the salmon protects itself.
2. Design a predator, for each stage listed in question 1, which would be effective at
overcoming the salmon's means of protection. Discuss each predator's unique feature.
Illustrate each predator.
3. Read each of the following "what if" situations. Choose one and describe how it would
affect the predator-prey balance of the stream, river or ocean.
o
What if alevins began hatching with yolk sacs that were twice as big?
o
What if all salmon fry began staying in freshwater for longer than 2 years?
o
What it the route downstream of a major river system became permanently
blocked?
o
What if adult salmon were delayed at sea, held and fed for an extra 1 1/2 years?
4. Complete the crossword puzzle using the information you have learned about salmonid
incubation life history.
ACROSS CLUES
2. To leave the gravel (as swim up fry)
3. To move seasonally from place to
place
5. Fluid containing sperm cells of male
salmon
8. Produced by the female salmon
11. Newly emerged fry (two words)
12. Accumulated thermal unit
13. The developing salmon
16. Distinct, dark bar-shaped markings
on fry
17. Produced by the body
DOWN CLUES
1. To unite egg and sperm
4. Fish that have hatched and have a yolk sac
6. Rapid learning to react to stimuli in water (two
words)
7. To keep at optimum temperature
9. Mature salmon returning upstream
10. Pigmentation of eye is visible through egg shell
(two words)
11. Young salmon prepared to live in ocean
14. Providing food for the alevin
15. Process of laying and fertilizing eggs