Biology Fish Eggs

They have all hatched now, so they are called sac fry.

We received 100 King Salmon eggs on November 9, from the Michigan DNR. King Salmon are also called Chinook Salmon. They are a species of fish that is native to the Pacific Northwest. They were first introduced to the Great Lakes in the 1960's and are now a popular sport fish. Hatcheries raise millions of King salmon eggs every year. After they hatch and grow for a few months, they are released.

Our eggs came from the Platte River State Fish Hatchery. They began hatching the week of Nov 13th. A few eggs have died, and that is normal. The newly hatched fish are called sac fry because they have a large yolk sac attached to their bodies. The yolk sac provides all of the fish's nutrients for the first month of their lives. The fish get oxygen from the water. They do not have gills, or a mouth at this point. Those structures will develop in the next month.

After about a month, the fish will start eating fish food and they will grow very quickly. In the spring, we will choose a stream to release the fish into.

Students are welcome to come into the biology lab and check out the salmon!

-Mrs. Angell