Salmon are a group of fish in the same family as trouts and char. Many salmon species are famous for their anadromous lifestyle: being born in freshwater, traveling to saltwater to live most of their lives, and then returning to freshwater to spawn. History: Though some species remain in freshwater their entire lives, most species of salmon travel to the ocean as young fish and spend much of their life in the sea. When they mature, they begin a long and dangerous journey back to the waters where they were born, often swimming upstream against heavy currents and leaping acrobatically up rapids to reach their destination. Many salmon don’t survive the journey, but those that do reach their home waters will get to mate. Scientific Name: Family Salmonidae, particularly genus Salmo and Oncorhynchus Characteristics: This hand-painted salmon figure is full of intricate sculptural details, from the spines of its fins to its scales.