IELTS Writing Task 1: life cycle overview

How do you write an overview or summary about a 'life cycle' diagram? Here are two things that I always do:

1. Count the number of stages in the life cycle.
2. Decide on a beginning and an end point in the cycle.

Last week's diagram has another general feature: where the cycle takes place.

So here's a possible overview paragraph for last week's task:

According to the diagram, there are eight main stages as the salmon develops from egg to mature adult. Salmon travel to three different places during the cycle, moving from river to estuary to ocean and back.