IELTS Academic Writing: The diagram below shows the life cycle of a species of a large fish called the salmon.

The diagram below shows the life cycle of a species of a large fish called the salmon.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Answer:

The diagram displays the different life stages of salmon which is a big fish.

Overall, the life cycle of salmon consists of three developmental stages, emerging from fry, converting to smolt and then maturing to an adult salmon.

The life cycle of the salmon starts when an adult salmon lays eggs on the upper river which is slow moving. The eggs are laid in a place filled with reeds and a gravel bed. Theses eggs are kept there for around 5 to 6 months until they hatch and become a fry which is 3 to 8 centimeter long. After that, this fry moves to the lower river which is fast flowing compared to the upper river. The fry stays in this river for about 4 years.

After spending 4 years in the lower river, the fry is matured into a smolt that is nearly double the size of fry, around 12 to 15 centimeters. Gradually, the smolt then swims to the open sea and inhabits it for approximately 5 years. Finally, the smolt grows fully to become an adult salmon that is comparatively bigger in size measuring around 70-76 centimeters. The vicious life cycle continues when the adult salmon reaches the upper river.

Band 7