As a seafood lover and angler I’m fascinated by salmon. These incredible fish lead a remarkable life, hatching in freshwater migrating to the ocean to grow into adulthood, and then returning to their birthplace to spawn and die.
Of the seven Pacific salmon species worldwide five occur in North American waters chinook coho, sockeye, chum, and pink. Each species has unique characteristics and habits that help identify them. Understanding the differences between the “Fantastic 5” provides insight into their lifecycles and behaviors.
Today I’m going to talk about the five species that live along the Pacific coast of North America. Whether you’re an angler trying to catch a certain kind of salmon or just want to learn more, keep reading for a handy guide to telling these amazing fish apart!
Chinook Salmon
- Also known as king, spring, quinnat, or blackmouth salmon
- Largest of the Pacific salmon, adults average 10-50 lbs but can reach 100+ lbs
- Blue-green to blue-black back with silvery sides
- Black spots on tail and black gums in mouth
- Males develop hooked “kype” jaw when spawning
- Most spend 1-6 years in ocean before returning to spawn
Chinook have the largest range of any Pacific salmon, occurring from California to Alaska. They prefer large rivers and spawn earlier than other salmon species. Highly prized by anglers for their size and fighting spirit.
Coho Salmon
- Also known as silver salmon
- Adults average 6-12 lbs but can reach over 30 lbs
- Blue-green head and back with silver sides
- Black spots on back and upper lobe of tail
- Males develop hooked “kype” jaw when spawning
- Spend 18 months in ocean before returning to spawn
Abundant from California to Alaska, coho salmon prefer small streams and spawn later than other species. Known for making long spawning migrations and jumping energetically. Excellent fighter when caught on light tackle.
Sockeye Salmon
- Also known as red or blueback salmon
- Adults average 4-15 lbs
- Bright red body and green head when spawning
- No spots on body or tail
- Males develop humped back and hooked “kype” jaw when spawning
- Spend 1-4 years in ocean before returning to spawn
Sockeye make epic migrations, traveling over 2,000 miles up the Yukon River in Alaska. They depend on lakes for rearing and are highly valued for their firm, bright orange flesh. Also known as red salmon due to their vivid spawning coloration.
Chum Salmon
- Also known as dog or calico salmon
- Adults average 8-15 lbs but can reach 30+ lbs
- Calico banding on sides when spawning
- No spots on body or tail
- Males develop faint “kype” jaw when spawning
- Spend 3-5 years in ocean before returning to spawn
Abundant in Alaska and northern British Columbia, chum are a traditional food source for many native communities. They spawn later than other salmon and are known for their savage strikes on fishing lures. Roe is prized in Asian markets.
Pink Salmon
- Also known as humpback salmon
- Adults average 3-5 lbs
- Large dark oval spots on back and both lobes of tail
- Males develop large humped back when spawning
- Shortest ocean residency, spend only 6 months-2 years at sea
- Most abundant salmon species, dominant in odd-numbered years
The smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon. Pinks form massive schools and provide important nutrients to streams and animals when they spawn. Highly aggressive when feeding, they strike lures and flies voraciously.
This is the list of the five best Pacific salmon that can be found in North America. Each species is uniquely adapted to its role in the ecosystem. Knowing the differences between them helps fishermen target specific species and enjoy the variety of these amazing fish. If you’re a serious fisherman or just like to watch them run, salmon will always amaze you!
A brief overview of the lifecycle of Pacific salmon
All of Alaska’s salmon begin their life as a fertilized egg in freshwater. Based on the species and temperature of the water, the eggs hatch in a certain amount of time on the gravel in a river or lake. As the salmon grows inside the egg, it goes through changes in its body, like getting eyes, a spine, and a tail. Eventually, the egg will hatch, leading to the next life stage called the alevin. Alevin are small and can be identified by the large orange yolk sac attached to the body. Alevin remain in the gravel, protected from predators and receive nutrients from the yolk sac. At this stage, small tails are present. As the alevin grows, the yolk sac’s nutrients run out, and the salmon starts to form mouth parts and small ovular shapes on each side of its body. From now on, the fish will leave the safety of the gravel bed and swim around looking for food. This stage is called the fry stage.
Most, but not all, salmon fry have parr marks along each side of their body. Pink salmon fry do not have parr marks. Parr marks act as camouflage, protecting the juvenile salmon from predation. Fry can swim very well, but they will seek safety in water that moves more slowly so they can avoid being eaten by larger fish and find food like insect larvae and plankton.
Each species of salmon fry will remain in freshwater for a determined length of time. Some, like sockeye and silver salmon, will stay in freshwater for a year or two. Others, like pink and chum salmon migrate to sea soon after emergence. King (or Chinook) fry typically remain in freshwater for approximately a year.
Salmon fry lose their parr marks and move on to the next stage of their lives, the smolt stage, as they get ready to go to sea. Smolt vary in size by species and normally rear in brackish water where the sea meets freshwater. Young salmon (smolt) grow very quickly. When they reach a certain size, they start their open-ocean migration and become adults.
Adult salmon will remain in the ocean feeding for a given length of time depending on the species. Kings can stay in saltwater for up to six years, but pink salmon only stay there for two years. When they’re two years old, they return to freshwater to spawn.
Upon returning to freshwater from the sea, salmon undergo significant physical changes. Some, like sockeye, kings and silvers develop a deep maroon or red coloration. In Southeast Alaska, spawning king salmon are more of a dark brown or blackish color. Chum salmon develop calico bands along each side of their body. Males of each species develop large, hooked jaws, called “kypes. ” In addition to developing a kype, male pink and sockeye salmon develop pronounced humps on their back. Consequently, pink salmon are often referred to as “humpys. ”.
Salmon returning to freshwater to spawn are called “spawners,” which is the next stage of their life. Salmon from the Pacific Ocean spawn in the same stream or lake where they were born. Some spawn almost where they came out of their eggs. Each species enters freshwater at different times of the year. In many river systems, king salmon are the first fish to come back. Sockeye, pink salmon, chum salmon, and silver salmon come back last. As with most natural events, the timing of the Pacific salmon run isn’t always the same from year to year. It’s hard to say for sure what day or week of the month a certain species of salmon will show up in freshwater.
In their natal stream, salmon begin the migration upriver to reach their spawning ground. The length a salmon will travel to reach the spawning grounds varies by river and by species. There are chum salmon in Alaska’s Yukon River that travel more than 2,000 miles to get to where they spawn.
Once the salmon has reached its spawning grounds, the female and male pair up. The female digs a bed in the gravel called a “redd. ” This is where she will deposit her eggs as the male fertilizes them with his milt. After spawning, all species of Pacific salmon die, completing their lifecycle.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
There’s an easy way to remember the names of each of Alaska’s five different species of Pacific salmon. It’s a method we often use when educating young kids about the different species and the salmon lifecycle. And it works.
We ask kids to hold one hand up and spread their fingers. We motion to the thumb and say, “Thumb rhymes with chum. ” Then we ask them to use their pointer finger and point to their eye. “Point to your eye. Eye rhymes with sockeye. “The middle finger is the biggest finger on the hand, and while there’s no catchy rhyme, we say the king salmon is the biggest salmon in Alaska.” Then we look at the ring finger and ask, “What color rings to some people wear?” Gold? No. What’s another color? Silver. Yes. The fourth species is a silver. And last but not least, there’s the pinky finger. Easy enough to remember that the fifth species of Alaska’s Pacific salmon is the pink.
It takes a little more work to be able to name the five species and know how to correctly identify all of them. The salmon lifecycle is the first thing you need to know to tell the difference between an adult pink, a chum, and a king.
And yes, there will be a quiz at the end of this.
Alaska Salmon Identification – Alaska Fishin
FAQ
What are the 5 types of salmon in the Pacific Northwest?
What is the most common Pacific salmon?
What are the 5 Alaskan salmon?
How many types of Pacific salmon are there?
There are seven species of Pacific salmon. Five of them occur in North American waters: C hinook, coho, chum, sockeye, and pink. Masu and amago salmon occur only in Asia. Note: Steelhead trout are often listed as an eighth Pacific salmon, but unlike other Pacific salmon, they are capable of repeat spawning and do not die after spawning.
How many types of Pacific salmon are there in Alaska?
While all of which are breathtaking, nothing quit evokes the states essence as well as, the mighty pacific salmon. In the frigid waters of Alaska, five distinct types of pacific salmon make up the states natural and industrial infustructure. These fish are vital to sustaining life for everyone that calls Alaska home.
Are Pacific salmon related to Atlantic salmon?
Pacific salmon are distantly related to Atlantic salmon but they can not inter-breed as these species have different numbers of chromosomes. Pink salmon are the smallest and most abundant species and Chinook salmon are the largest (exceeding 50 kilos) but least abundant species. Interestingly, they have exactly the same number of scales.
What fish live in the North Pacific?
Five species of Pacific salmon thrive in the North Pacific waters of the US and Canada: chinook (also called king), coho, pink, sockeye, and chum salmon. They begin their lives in freshwater streams, lakes, and rivers and migrate to the sea as small fish called smolts.