Band 7+: The diagrams show the life cycle of a species of large fish called the salmon. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. To zoom in, click on the image.

The graph below illustrates the life cycle of salmon, which is categorised as a type of large fish.

Overall, it can be seen that it is a 3-step, natural, circular process that begins from salmon eggs and ends with adult salmon, which lays eggs and repeats the whole cycle.

The life cycle begins with salmon eggs, which are usually laid under small stones, at the base of reeds, in the slow moving upper river. The eggs take approximately 5 to 6 months until it hatches to become a fry, which is the first stage of salmon and is around 3 to 8 centimetres in length.

The fry lives in the fast flowing lower river for around 4 years, until it evolves into smolt, which can be 12 to 15 centimetres in length. In the next stage, the smolt resides in saltwater for 5 years and gradually grows in size until it becomes adult salmon, which is 70 to 75 centimetres long. In the final phase, the adult salmon lays eggs, repeating the whole life cycle.