Escaped farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., feeding in Scottish coastal waters

HISLOP, J.R.G.; WEBB, J.H.

Escaped farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., feeding in Scottish coastal waters

1992

HISLOP, J.R.G. | WEBB, J.H.

Escaped reared salmon, Salmo salar L., were distinguished from wild salmon in the catch of a coastal salmon fishery on the west coast of Scotland. The stomach contents of 54 escaped fish were examined to determine their recent feeding history and 19 (35%) were found to contain food. The predominant prey were juvenile whiting, Merlangius merlangus (L.), unidentified Gadidae and sandeels (Ammodytidae), although other fish and invertebrates, mainly post-larval hermit crabs (Paguridae), were recorded. All these prey are pelagic or semi-pelagic. These observations demonstrate that escaped salmon feed on natural prey in coastal waters and extend our knowledge of the diet of salmon in their marine phase.

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