Band 6+: The diagrams below show the life cycle of a speicies of large fish called the salmon. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The diagram intricately depicts the life cycle of large fish known as Salmon.

The illustration meticulously elucidates a comprehensive overview of the complete lifespan of Salmon fish consists of three major stages: spawning, becoming smolt, and adult salmon, takes approximately ten years. While the first two steps occur in freshwater and last one takes place in saline water.

The lifespan begins in the upper river where the movement of water is slower, the adult salmon is laying eggs at the base of reeds near small stones. In this place, the eggs hatch into fry which gets about 3-6 cm long over the course of 5 to 6 months. The fry is the swim to the lower river where the current is faster. They spend about 4 years there in order to transform into smolts which is about 12 to 15 cm long.

After that, the smolts migrate to the ocean and staying in the open sea for about 5 years to get matured and to be called as adult salmon which are near 70 – 76 cm long. At final stage, the adult salmon return to the upper river for spawning and begin the process anew.