Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Scientific name: Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Walbaum, 1792

The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is a freshwater fish of the family Salmonidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 25°C (77°F).

Chinook salmon care at a glance

Temperature: 25°C (77°F)

Biology

Adults return to natal streams from the sea to spawn. Fry may migrate to the sea after only 3 months in fresh water, some may stay for as long as 3 years, but generally most stay a year in the stream before migrating. Some individuals remain close inshore throughout their lives, but some make extensive migrations. Also found in lakes. Possibly up to 375 m depth. Epipelagic. Food in streams is mainly terrestrial insects and small crustaceans; in the sea, major food items include fishes, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. Young are preyed upon by fishes and birds (such as mergansers and kingfishers); adults are prey of large mammals and large birds. Highly regarded game fish. Flesh is usually red, but some are white; the red meat com

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Family: Salmonidae (Salmonids)
Order: Salmoniformes (Salmons)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 150
Common length: 70.0
Depth range: 0–375 m (0–1230 ft)
Environment: Marine; freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; anadromous; depth range 0 - 375 m
Climate: Temperate
Distribution: Arctic, Northwest to Northeast Pacific: drainages from Point Hope, Alaska to Ventura River, California, USA; occasionally strays south to San Diego in California, USA. Also in Honshu, Japan, Sea of Japan, Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk. Found in Coppermine River in the Arctic. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Potential pest
Uses: Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=4; tmax=9; Fec=4,000)