Salmon

Chum Salmon

AKA: Salmon, Chum, Keta, Dg salmon, Calico salmon, Chub

This metallic green blue with black speckled salmon is second in size to the largest salmon species, the Chinook. They have an average weight of 8-15 pounds and can be up to 3.6 feet in length. The appearance of the Chum salmon changes when they are in fresh water. Both the male and female develop bold red and black tiger stripes.

The Chum salmon hatch in freshwater streams and rivers and then migrate in saltwater where they feed and grow.

Coho Salmon

AKA: Silver salmon

Coho salmon get up to 31 lbs, but the average size is 6-12 lbs. They spawn in small coastal streams and the inflow of large rivers. Coho start out as eggs that have been deposited into gravel in the fall and emerge from there the following spring. After 18 months from being deposited the Coho go into the sea. The Coho use coastal streams and often small neighborhood streams.

Spring Salmon

AKA: Chinook

The Chinook name comes from the Chinookan Peoples and is commonly referred to as Spring salmon because it returns to rivers earlier than other Pacific salmon species. The Chinook/Spring is the largest of the Pacific salmon species with the largest recorded weighing in at 126 pounds. They are dark in colour with a green/blue sheen. When the salmon go to fresh water to spawn their body colour darkens and a red colour form around the fins and belly. The Chinook spawn in large rivers from Alaska to California and are found in a small number of streams in BC. The Fraser River is the main producer of Chinook production in BC. In Northern areas Chinook/Spring spend a minimum of a year in fresh water. They return to spawn anywhere from 2 to 7 years.

Pink Salmon

Get involved!

Work in the Chum fishery!

Start your journey

Salmon Life Cycle

Salmon are Anadromous, meaning they spend their entire life in the ocean but migrate to rivers/streams to spawn. (Born and die in freshwater rivers) they remain in the sea till the onset of adult stage.

1 Eggs

Eggs hatch in about 3 months

During fall season salmon eggs are laid in gravel beds at the bottom of streams/rivers/lakes deposited several feet below the water surface. They are protected from exposure to indirect sunlight, the eggs are spherical in shape and slightly translucent with redish/pinkish/orangish coloration. While in the egg stage the developing organs can be seen easily through the translucent covering. Hatching usually takes place within 2-3 months after the eggs are laid.

2 Alevin

Feeds of yolk sac for several weeks

The water flow and temperature are very crucial for hatching salmon eggs. Alevin which are 1-inch long, are characterized by presence of abnormally large eyes attached to a bright orange sac, which is nothing but nutritive yolk for nearly 3-4 months. The newly hatched alevin resides in the gravel nest feeding on the yolk that hangs below their body.

3 Fry

5 to 10 weeks old and swimming

The next stage is that of fry. Once the nutritive yolk is absorbed the young, the young fry come out of the gravel nest they swim and feed on small plankton and aquatic plants. Many times, the salmon fry become easy prey for larger fish, insect, and birds. In their entire life the mortality rate for salmon is the highest when they are in the fry stage. Approximately 137 different species feed on salmon for their diet.

4 Parr

Several months old. Develops "finger" markings.

When a fry matures to parr stage they measure about 6 inches during this time vertical markings develop on their body and flanks. Species like king salmon immediately migrate to the ocean during or after fry stage. In other species parr feed and grow in the freshwater streams for approximately 1-3 years before they begin their journey towards the ocean.

5 Smolt

1-3 years old. Will group and head out to sea.

In the smolt stage, the developing salmon reach the estuary – the connecting point where a river meets the ocean. Then they turn silvery white in color. While losing their vertical stripes. In general, they swim in groups along with others and frequently visit the ocean for feeding purposes. With time their body gets adjusted to saline water of the ocean.

6 Adult

Spends 1 to 8 years at sea.

The body marking of adult salmons is very distinctive, which differs significantly from one type to another. Based on the species in question, adults may spend anywhere around 3 – 7 years in the ocean, after which they migrate upstream to their birthplace for spawning. Adult salmons stop eating and develop different body colors; males retain bright colors, while females turn darker. After mating, the adult female lays eggs in the spawning site, and the entire journey is repeated all over again.

7 Spawning Adult

Spawn and die within 2 weeks

Salmons have an average lifespan of 7 years. Most of the species inhabiting the Pacific Ocean die immediately after spawning―a behavior referred to as ‘semelparity’. Very few species have the ability to spawn repeated times. Overall, the mortality rate after spawning is very high (40 percent to be precise), as adult spawners cannot spend long time in freshwater. In a nutshell, a salmon egg hatches in a river, migrates to sea, and returns back in the river for spawning.