When it becomes silver-colored, it will be called a smolt. After growing for a while, the smolts swim downstream to the sea. They then return to the place where they hatched and continue the cycle. No one knows how salmon return home -perhaps they remember the distinctive set of smells along the way. On their journey home, they do not eat at all, they often change color, their muscles soften, and they will die soon after spawning.
Salmons have silvery skin with spotted back and fins.