The diagrams illustrate the lifespan of the salmon, a species of large fish.
Overall, the life cycle consists of three main stages: spawning, becoming smolt, and adult salmon, which take about 9 years.
The lifespan begins in upper river, where the adult salmon spawns at the base of reeds and near small stones. In this place water moves slowly and after approximately 5 to 6 months fry emerges, that are 3 to 8 centimeters long.
Next, the fry moves to lower river, with fast current of water. They spend around 4 years there, in order to transform into smolts, which measure 12 to 15 centimeters long. The smolt immigrates to open sea and stays there for nearly 5 years. After this period, they are fully grown and called adult salmon, which are 70-76 centimeters long. Finally, these mature salmon return to upper river to spawn and repeat the reproducing cycle.
