Salmo


Salmo is a genus of ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which includes all European species of salmon and trout, among them the familiar Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and the brown trout (Salmo trutta). The single Salmo species naturally found in the Atlantic North America is the Atlantic salmon, whereas the salmon and trout of the Pacific basin belong to another genus, Oncorhynchus. The natural distribution of Salmo also extends to North Africa and to West Asia around the Black Sea basin.

The generic name Salmo derives from the Latin salmō (salmon). The number of distinct species and subspecies in Salmo is a debated issue. Atlantic salmon and brown trout are widespread species, while most of the other taxa are narrowly distributed forms endemic to single watersheds.