Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at Craig Brook NFH are collected as parr that are 1+ year old from six of the seven managed rivers every year. Each year class consists of about 200 fish for each river. As the fish grow at Craig Brook they are moved to various different rearing areas until reaching maturity. Adult sea-run Atlantic salmon migrating up the Penobscot River are also collected every spring through summer and transferred to Craig Brook where they spawn several months later. Once the fish have artificially spawned, they are then stocked back into their home river. The spawned eggs are then transferred to partnering conservation hatcheries for further development prior to being stocked or they are stocked out as eggs and fry to their home rivers. For more details on the journey of Atlantic salmon at Craig Brook NFH visit our virtual tour.
Atlantic salmon at Craig Brook NFH are fed a formulated salmon specific feed that promote fish health and nutrition. They can grow to be over 10 pounds and over a meter in length at five years old. A single female of that size may produce more than 10,000 eggs. Most females will spawn at ages three and four, where the amount of eggs per female may vary greatly from 1500 to 7000. In a typical spawning year, over 3 million eggs will be spawned at Craig Brook NFH.
For more details on the natural life history of Atlantic salmon, visit our partners at noaa.gov
Samoni wa Atlantiki (Salmo salar) katika Craig Brook NFH hukusanywa kama parr ambayo ni umri wa mwaka mmoja au zaidi kutoka sita ya mito saba inayosimamiwa kila mwaka. Kila mwaka, kila kikundi cha samaki kina samaki 200 hivi. Samaki wanapokua huko Craig Brook, huhamishwa hadi maeneo mbalimbali ya kulea samaki mpaka wanapokomaa. Samaki wa Atlantiki wa baharini ambao wanahamia juu ya Mto Penobscot pia hukusanywa kila majira ya kuchipua hadi majira ya joto na kuhamishwa hadi Craig Brook ambapo huzaana miezi kadhaa baadaye. Baada ya samaki hao kuzaa kwa njia ya bandia, wao huhifadhiwa tena katika mto wa nyumbani kwao. Mayai hayo yanahamishwa kwenye viwanda vya kuhifadhi ili yasiwe na hifadhi au yanahifadhiwa kama mayai na kuchinjwa kwenye mito yao. Kwa maelezo zaidi juu ya safari ya samaki wa Atlantiki katika Craig Brook NFH tembelea ziara yetu ya virtual. Samoni wa Atlantiki katika Craig Brook NFH hulishwa chakula maalum cha samoni ambacho huendeleza afya na lishe ya samaki. Wanaweza kukua hadi uzito wa kilo 5 na urefu wa mita moja na nusu kwa umri wa miaka mitano. Mwanamke mmoja wa ukubwa huo anaweza kuzaa mayai zaidi ya 10,000. Wanawake wengi huzaana wakati wa umri wa miaka mitatu na minne, ambapo idadi ya mayai kwa kila mwanamke inaweza kutofautiana sana kutoka 1500 hadi 7000. Katika mwaka wa kawaida wa kuzaa, mayai zaidi ya milioni 3 yatazaliwa katika Craig Brook NFH. Kwa maelezo zaidi juu ya historia ya maisha ya asili ya samaki wa Atlantiki, tembelea washirika wetu katika noaa.gov