 Chinook
Salmon
Latin Name: Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Family:
Salmonidae
Other
Names: king, tyee, spring,
blackmouth, chub
 Appearance:
In saltwater, greenish blue
with blue to black back and irregular
black spots, with black gums and
mouth.
In freshwater, colour darkens, reddish
hue develops around fins and belly.
Spawning males have large teeth
and hooked snout. Average weight:
14 kilograms, average length: 92
centimetres.
Range:
Southern California to Arctic waters
of Alaska, Canada and Russia. Populations
in Asia as far south as islands
of Japan. Freshwater populations
introduced to Great Lakes.
Life
History: After emerging from
the gravel, Chinook remain in their
home river or stream for up to two
years, move to coastal estuaries
for several months, then out to
sea for up to six years. Chinook
in southern areas return to spawn
at two to five years of age, while
farther north, spawning fish may
be as old as eight years. In the
Yukon River, most females are six
or seven years old, with males being
a year younger.
Further
Facts: Winner of the Heavyweight
Title: A highly prized sport catch,
Chinook are by far the largest of
the Pacific salmon, and also the
most powerful. The undisputed "king
of the salmon" can weigh up
to 45 kilograms. The world record
is 57.27 kilograms.
In The
Spring Of The Year: Chinook
are sometimes called "spring
salmon", because they return
to some rivers earlier than other
Pacific species. The early Chinook
run starts in April in the Fraser
and Columbia rivers,
although there may also be summer
and fall runs. Some river systems
have more than one stock of Chinook
and more than one run season. A
large number of runs are found in
the Canadian portion of the Yukon
River.
Living
Large: Big Chinook build
big nests. Females dig their "redds"
in deeper, faster-running water,
moving cantaloupe-size rocks to
lay their eggs. The eggs are larger
than those of other salmon species,
and there are more of them up to
14,000 in a single redd, compared
to an average of 5,000 in nests
of other species.
Dangerous
Territory: With a life span
of up to eight years, and a lengthy
residence in every kind of aquatic
ecosystem, rivers,
estuaries and oceans Chinook are
vulnerable to a wide range of environmental
threats. Mining, logging, hydropower
dams and other diversions, urban
development and infilling, agricultural
and industrial run-off, even climate
change and "El Nino" upwelling
in the sea contribute to Chinook
mortality.
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