Non-native pink salmon hatches in Scottish river

A newly-hatched pink salmon in the River Ness

Scientific research suggests that non-native Pacific pink salmon could be successfully establishing themselves in a Highlands river.

Eggs laid by the species in the River Ness earlier this year were collected and placed in incubation chambers.

The enclosed chambers were placed in the river to see if the eggs and alevin, newly-hatched salmon, survived.

Ness District Salmon Fishery Board, which is involved in the study, said at least one egg has hatched.

It added that the alevin was maturing to the point where it usually begin its migration to the sea.

Last month, the fishery board said it had found hatched eggs in other parts of the river.

Pink salmon eggs collected from the River Ness

Pink salmon are native to Pacific Ocean waters.

The fish spotted in the River Ness, near Inverness, are believed to be related to pink salmon introduced to rivers in Russia in the mid-1950s.

These fish have since migrated to rivers in Scandinavian countries, including Norway.