Migrating fishes

As we need to know what kind of fish species will be in the Mustionjoki to decide what is the best fishway to design, Marco sent a list of the fishes which are involved. I found on internet more details about these fishes like their size or weight.

There are mainly four types of fishes.

1. Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

I found on internet that this fish is also known as the "king of the fish" because of its athletic powers. It can reach a length of 1,5 metres and can be 2.3 kg-9.1 kg. Spawning is generally in October-November. The most important point is that it is a symbol of clean and healthy water that run wild to the sea. So if we can recreate a population of altantic salmons in the Mustionjoki, it means that the water will be clean and this is one of our aims !

The first fish-eggs have been placed in March 2010 in the Mustionjoki. The smots will live in the river between 2 and 3 years after which they will travel to the sea.

2. Sea trout (Salmo trutta trutta)

The trout can be 25 cm long up 140 cm long, and its weight is 10-15kg.
Marco told me that the trout can form sweat-water base communities some of them are already existing in the Karjaanjoki water system. Some enjoy migrating betweens rivers or streams or lakes - such as Lohjalake. Some will migrate to the sea like the salmon and then come back to the native river to spawn.

3. Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus)

Its maximum size is 75 cm and its weight about 10 kg.We are concentrated on the migrating whitefishes

4. Eel (Anguilla anguilla)

The eel can reach a length from 40 cm up to 150 cm and its weight is approximately 4 kg.
Marco said that the amounts of migrating eels are less than 1% of what it was before 1980's. The Karjaanjoki water system has been famous of rich eel population that also our design is now trying to restore.

- Caroline