Sources of variations in weight and length of Atlantic salmon

Variance for weight and total length of four year classes of farmed Atlantic salmon after two years in the sea were distributed on strain, family, maturing/immature (after two winters) and sex. Highly significant variation between families were found and also significant variations due to sex and stage of maturity were evident. On an average males were heavier and longer than female and maturing fish on an average were heavier showed higher condition than immature within most group. Differences in length between maturing and immature fish were not obvious. The higher condition factors of mature than immature fish were not caused by higher gonad weights