Salmon are an iconic fish species that play a vital role in marine and freshwater ecosystems around the world. As anadromous fish, salmon hatch in freshwater, migrate to the ocean to feed and grow, and then return to their natal streams and rivers to spawn. This unique life history makes salmon a crucial food source for a diverse array of freshwater and marine predators. But exactly what animals feast on salmon? Let’s take a closer look at the main predators of salmon throughout their complex life cycles.
Freshwater Predators
Soon after emerging from their eggs as tiny alevins, young salmon are extremely vulnerable to predation. During their freshwater stage salmon fry and parr fall prey to a variety of fish bird, and mammal species including
- Smallmouth bass
- Northern pike
- Slimy sculpin
- Kingfisher
- Double-crested cormorant
- Mergansers
- Osprey
- Great blue heron
- Snowy egret
- River otter
- American mink
These quick, opportunistic hunters thrive in salmon spawning streams, gorging on eggs and taking advantage of the seasonal abundance of naive juveniles. Birds like herons and kingfishers snatch small salmon from the water’s surface, while mink and otter pursue salmon in the shallows Piscine predators like pike ambush young salmon in quiet backwaters.
In fact, research shows that predation accounts for an extremely high rate of mortality among juvenile salmonids in their natal rivers and streams. Up to 99% perish before ever making it out to sea, with predators responsible for much of this early die-off.
Estuarine Predators
Salmon smolts go through physical changes that allow them to move to saltwater after growing up in freshwater for one to five years. As salmon smolts move downstream through river mouths and estuaries, they become vulnerable to a new group of predators, such as
- Cod
- Pollack
- Sea bass
- Seals
- Sea lions
- Dolphins
- Porpoises
- Seabirds like gulls and terns
Many fish and marine mammals that hunt smolts gather near river mouths to catch the waves of smolts that are leaving. Large aggregations of young salmon also attract diving seabirds. Migrating smolts are already physically stressed because they have to go from fresh water to salt water. This makes them easier targets.
However, thanks to their large numbers, some smolts invariably survive the onslaught of estuarine predators and continue their journey.
Open Ocean Predators
If salmon make it through the challenges of freshwater and estuaries, the open ocean will be their next big test. Here, adult salmon become prey for:
- Sharks like great white, mako, and salmon shark
- Marine mammals like orcas, seals, and sea lions
- Large pelagic fish including tuna, halibut, and swordfish
- Seabirds like gulls, murres, shearwaters, and albatross
Many sharks are specially adapted to prey on salmon, targeting dense schools during the post-smolt stage. Orcas also hunt adult salmon, often working cooperatively to herd fish into tight balls before stunning them with tail slaps. With myriad open ocean threats, Pacific salmon must remain on high alert, using large schools and swift swimming to evade predators.
Seabirds take advantage of dense salmon schools near the surface, picking off weaker individuals. Some seabirds like albatrosses even pursue salmon far from shore, seizing them from just below the surface.
For salmon reaching full maturity in the ocean, the journey home to spawn poses yet another series of hurdles.
Return Migration Predators
After 1-5 years feeding and growing in the ocean, adult salmon migrate back to their natal rivers to complete their life cycle. During this arduous return trip, spawning salmon are targeted by:
- Larger salmonids like steelhead and Dolly Varden char
- Bald eagles, ospreys, and other fish-eating birds
- Bears, especially along salmon streams and at waterfalls
- River otters, seals, and sea lions at river mouths
Bears congregate at river mouths to snatch salmon in shallow water. Eagles and ospreys grab spawning salmon from the air or pluck them from the water’s surface. Once salmon make it into freshwater, other large fish like trout and char lurk in deep pools, snapping up migrating adults.
For successful spawners that make it all the way to their home rivers, the last challenge comes from local wildlife feasting on eggs and carcasses. Overall, the journey from egg to spawning adult is fraught with dangers at every turn. Only a tiny fraction of salmon survive this predator-filled gauntlet to complete their life cycle.
Humans Also Prey on Salmon
In addition to natural predators, humans exploit salmon fisheries throughout much of the species’ range. Commercial fishermen target adult salmon along the ocean migration routes and near river mouths. Recreational anglers also harvest Chinook, coho, sockeye and other salmon species.
However, careful management ensures sustainable harvests of wild salmon. Hatchery programs supplement wild populations, helping support commercial and recreational salmon fisheries while minimizing impacts to vulnerable wild stocks.
As a keystone species, salmon provide food for a vast diversity of freshwater, estuarine, and marine predators while also furnishing an important renewable resource for people. Maintaining healthy salmon ecosystems requires preserving natural habitats and controlling overexploitation – needs that must be balanced to sustain salmon and their dependent predators into the future.
Nutrition Facts Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 179; Protein: 19.93 g; Total Fat: 10.43 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 1 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 50 mg; Selenium: 36.5 mcg; Sodium: 47 mg
There are numerous stocks of Chinook salmon.
- Alaska: In Alaska, the status of Chinook salmon stocks varies. Some stocks are going down, while others are staying the same or going up. None are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The 2021 stock assessment says that the Eastern North Pacific Far North Migrating stock is not overfished and will not be overfished. Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
- West Coast: Chinook stocks are in different stages of health in California and the Pacific Northwest. Some stocks are going down, while others are staying the same or going up. Two groups of Chinook salmon are considered endangered by the ESA as of 2022, and seven groups are considered threatened at the same time. The 2023 stock assessment says that the Klamath River Fall stock has been overfished but is not at risk of being overfished. The 2023 stock assessment says that the Queets Spring/Summer stock is overfished, but it’s not clear how much overfishing there is. The rest of the stocks have not been overfished and will not be overfished. All of the information you need to assess all West Coast Chinook salmon stocks for 2023 can be found on Stock SMART.
- Populations are affected by: Changes in ocean and climatic conditions. Habitat loss from dam construction and urban development. Degraded water quality from agricultural and logging practices.
- Population conservation efforts include: Captive-rearing in hatcheries. Removal and modification of dams that obstruct salmon migration. Restoration of degraded habitat. Acquisition of key habitat. Improvements to water quality and instream flow.
- The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund helps salmon species get back to normal.
- Commercial fishery: In 2022, U. S. Chinook salmon caught for commercial purposes weighed 11 million pounds and were worth $51 million. 3 million, according to a database kept by NOAA Fisheries for commercial fishing Most of the Chinook in the U. S. market comes from U. S. and Canadian fisheries.
- Types of gear, effects on habitat, and bycatch: Different types of gear are used to catch Chinook salmon. It is how troll boats catch salmon. They “troll” their lines with bait or lures through groups of fish that are feeding. Lines can be wound on spools by hand or with a hydraulic system to get hooked fish back. The fish are then pulled aboard when they come up next to the boat. The troll fishery produces low-volume, high-quality product. Chinook are also caught in commercial seine and gillnet fisheries (explained here), both when the fisheries are trying to catch Chinook stocks and when they are trying to catch other types of salmon. Chinook salmon fishing gear doesn’t touch the ocean floor very often and doesn’t have a big effect on habitat. Bycatch is low and usually consists of other salmon species.
- Recreational fishing: Chinook salmon are a popular catch for people who fish for fun. Chinook salmon can be caught by recreational fishermen with a variety of gear. West Coast fishermen can only keep a certain number of salmon per trip. This is to make sure that recreational fisheries are sustainable. In Alaska, regulations vary by area and individual fisheries. Recreational fishing in high-use areas like Cook Inlet, Southeast Alaska, and Copper River is controlled by management plans that decide how much fish to give to recreational and commercial fishermen who are competing for the fish.
- Subsistence fishing: For Western Indian tribes and Alaska natives, salmon is a key source of spiritual and physical food. Salmon are also culturally important to many other people who live in these areas. Different kinds of fishing gear are used by subsistence fishermen to catch Chinook salmon.
Juveniles of the five Pacific salmon species. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Alaska Fisheries Science Center
NOAA Fisheries conducts various research activities on the biology, behavior, and ecology of chinook salmon. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions for this species.
Anyone interested in chinook salmon or any other species can use NOAA’s StockSMART web tool to find out more about stock status, management, assessments, and resource trends.
Fishing Status Not subject to overfishing.
Spring Chinook Salmon. Credit: Michael Humling, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
U. S. wild-caught Chinook salmon is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U. S. regulations.
NOAA Fisheries manages the commercial, recreational, and tribal fishing for salmon and steelhead in the ocean and inland waters of Alaska and the West Coast. They work with federal, state, tribal, and Canadian officials to do this. To learn more about management of these fisheries, visit our West Coast and Alaska fisheries management pages.
However, some Chinook salmon are also protected under the Endangered Species Act. Learn more about protected Chinook salmon.
- Chunook salmon are blue-green on the back and top of the head when they’re in the water. Their sides are silvery and their bellies are white.
- They have black spots on the top half of their bodies and on both tail fin lobes.
- Chinook salmon also have a black line along their gums, which is how they got the name “blackmouth.” “.
- When Chinook are about to spawn in fresh water, they turn an olive brown, red, or purple color. This color change is particularly evident in males.
- The upper jaw of spawning adult males is hooked, making them easy to spot.
- To tell them apart from males, females have a torpedo-shaped body, a strong middle, and a blunt nose.
- Fish juveniles in fresh water (fry) have well-developed parr marks on their sides. These are patterns of vertical bars and spots that help them blend in with their surroundings.
- Before juveniles go to sea, they lose their parr marks and get the dark back and light belly that fish that live in open water have.
- Chinook salmon are anadromous, which means they hatch in freshwater streams and rivers and then move to the ocean to feed and grow.
- The name “king salmon” comes from the fact that Chinook salmon are the biggest Pacific salmon. ”.
- They can grow as long as 4. Fish that are fully grown can be up to 129 pounds and 9 feet long, but most are about 3 feet long and 30 pounds.
- They feed in the ocean for a few years and then spawn in the streams or rivers where they were born, usually in the summer or early fall.
- Chinook salmon reach sexual maturity between the ages of 2 and 7, but they usually return to spawn when they are 3 or 4 years old.
- Chinook lay their eggs in redds, which are gravel nests they dig out on the bottom of streams.
- All Chinook salmon die after spawning.
- Young Chinook salmon eat insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans that live on land and in water.
- Older Chinook primarily feed on other fish.
- Young Chinook salmon are eaten by birds and fish like whiting and mackerel.
- Wolf groups, sea lions, and orcas, as well as sharks, eat adult salmon.
- Southern Resident killer whales, which are an endangered species, also eat salmon as their main food source.
- After salmon spawn and die, their bodies are a good source of food and energy for the river ecosystem. By adding nitrogen and phosphorous compounds to streams, carcasses have been shown to help newly hatched salmon grow and stay alive.
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Chordata | Class | Actinopterygii | Order | Salmoniformes | Family | Salmonidae | Genus | Oncorhynchus | Species | tshawytscha |
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What Eating Salmon Every Day Does To Your Body
FAQ
What animal eats the most salmon?
What animals hunt salmon?
What is salmon’s biggest predator?
What is the food chain for salmon?
What animals eat salmon?
Minks, otters, herons, and bass consume salmon during the early stages of their life cycle. Eagles, hawks, orcas, seals, sharks and sea lions often eat adult salmon. Humans are the biggest consumer and threat to salmon. When salmon return to fresh water to spawn, bears and eagles are their most common predators.
What are the side effects of eating Salmon?
For individuals who enjoy fish and do not have a fish allergy, salmon is a high-quality, nutrient-rich food to include in your diet. Unless an individual has a fish allergy, the side effects from eating salmon would primarily be positive for heart and brain health for instance. It is possible that farmed salmon contains higher amounts of contaminants like PCBs compared to wild salmon and that eating it regularly may contribute to an accumulation of toxins. However, very large amounts of contaminated farmed salmon would have to be consumed and many salmon farms are finding sustainable practices that considerably reduce contaminants. The benefits of eating salmon in most cases outweighs the risks. The USDA agrees that eating 4 ounces of wild or farmed salmon twice a week is safe and can give you the nutritional benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for heart and brain health.
What predators eat salmon?
Some of the most common predators of salmon include seals, birds, bears, and humans. Seals are one of the most significant predators of salmon in the ocean. They are known to consume large quantities of salmon, particularly during the spawning season when the fish are concentrated in rivers and streams.
What do salmon eat?
In fresh water, young salmon mostly eat small insects such as mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, blackflies, and riffle beetles. Sometimes they eat small amphibians and fish. When they’re in the ocean, young and adult salmon eat a wide variety of prey, including: Fish such as capelin, Atlantic herring, sand lance, barracudina and lanternfish.