The provided illustration depicts various stages in the development of the salmon. Overall, there are 7 stages in the development, commencing with the eggs being laid in water and continuing with adult salmon.
At the first stage of the life cycle, the salmon begins as eggs in fresh water which are laid in large quantities and then incubated. Following a period of incubation about 3 months, the eggs hatch into alevin, which feeds off the yolk sac for several weeks. At 5 to 10 weeks old, the alevin transforms into fry and begins to swim. Subsequently, after several months old, fry changes into parr, which have finger markings.
At the following stage, the parr grows in size and turns into smolt at 1 to 3 years old, which will group and head out to sea. Next, the smolt transforms into an adult and spends 1 to 8 years at sea. Having reached full maturity, the adults are now capable of spawning and die within 2 weeks. At this point, the life cycle repeats itself.
