The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) (derived from Russian чавыча), is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is a Pacific Ocean salmon and is variously known as the king salmon, tyee salmon, Columbia River salmon, black salmon, chub salmon, hook bill salmon, winter salmon, Spring Salmon and blackmouth. Chinook Salmon are typically divided into "races" with "spring chinook", "summer chinook", and "fall chinook" being most common. Races are determined by the timing of adult entry into fresh water. A "winter chinook" run is recognized in the Sacramento River. Chinook Salmon (also called king, tyee, blackmouth) Oncorhyncus tshawytscha File links The following pages link to this file: Chinook salmon Categories: National Park Service images ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders See text The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. ... Genera (see text) Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish, the only family of order Salmoniformes. ... Genera (see text) Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish, the only family of order Salmoniformes. ... Species See text. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Johann Julius Walbaum Johann Julius Walbaum (1724 – 1799), a native of Lübeck, Germany was a physician, naturalist and taxonomist. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Many types of fish undertake migrations on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annual, and with distances ranging from a few meters to thousands of kilometers. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are cold-blooded, covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Illustration of a male Coho Salmon The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ... The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... Illustration of a male Coho Salmon The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ... The Sacramento River is the longest river in the U.S. state of California. ...

Appearance

The Chinook salmon is blue-green on the back and top of the head with silvery sides and white ventral surfaces. It has black spots on its tail and the upper half of its body; its mouth is dark gray. Adult fish average 33 to 36 inches (840 to 910 mm), but may be up to 58 inches (1.47 meters) in length; they average 10 to 50 pounds (5 to 25 kg), but may reach 130 pounds (50 kg). The current sport caught World Record is over 99 lbs 6 oz. and was caught by Mrs Ingrid Oeder from Germany, guest at the Kermode Bear Fishing Lodge, in the Skeena River(Terrace), the fish was eventually released after being weighed and measured. A replica of the fish can be found on display in Terrace and is accessible by the public. The IGFA recognizes a 97 lb, 4 oz. specimen caught in the Kenai River, Alaska in 1985. Even larger, the commercial catch world record is 126 pounds caught near Petersburg, Alaska in a fish trap in 1949 (Scott and Crossman. 1985. Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada. page 175. ISBN 0-660-10239-0.) In zootomy, several terms are used to describe the location of organs and other structures in the body of bilateral animals. ... The Skeena River is the second longest river in British Columbia, Canada. ... Mayor Jack Talstra Councillors Lynne Christiansen Marylin Davies Brian Downie Carol Leclerc Rich McDaniel Brad Pollard Land area 42. ... Mayor Jack Talstra Councillors Lynne Christiansen Marylin Davies Brian Downie Carol Leclerc Rich McDaniel Brad Pollard Land area 42. ...

Reproduction

Chinook salmon may spend between one to eight years in the ocean before returning to their home rivers to spawn, though the average is three to four years. Chinook prefer larger and deeper water to spawn in than other species of salmon and can be found on the spawning redds (nests) from September through to December. Fry and parr (young fish) usually stay in freshwater from twelve to eighteen months before travelling downstream to estuaries, where they remain as smolts for several months. Animated map exhibiting the worlds oceanic waters. ... Frog spawn Spawning is the production or depositing of eggs in large numbers by aquatic animals. ... The word fry may mean: To cook in a pan (frying pan) with the optional use of fat, butter, or cooking oil by heating over a flame; to cook in boiling lard or fat; as, to fry chicken; to fry doughnuts. ... Frog spawn Spawning is the production or depositing of eggs in large numbers by aquatic animals. ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... Rio de la Plata estuary Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Estuaries An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. ... A young salmon at the stage intermediate between the parr and the grilse, when it becomes covered with silvery scales and first migrates from fresh water to the sea. ...

Range

This Chinook salmon specimen shows the jaws drawn into a curved "kype", a secondary sex characteristic typical of many male salmon around spawning time.

Chinook salmon range from San Francisco Bay in California to north of the Bering Strait in Alaska, and the arctic waters of Canada and Russia (the Chukchi Sea ), including the entire Pacific coast in between. Populations occur in Asia as far south as the islands of Japan. In Russia, they are found in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x734, 141 KB)A Chum Salmon in the hands of a fisherman. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x734, 141 KB)A Chum Salmon in the hands of a fisherman. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Satellite photo of the Bering Strait Photo across the Bering Strait Nautical chart of the Bering Strait The Bering Strait (Russian: ) is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169°43 W) of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, the westernmost point (168°05... Official language(s) English[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... Chukchi Sea (Russian: Чуко́тское мо́ре) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, between Chukotka and Alaska. ... Kamchatka is home to many volcanoes, including Avachinsky shown here. ... Location of Kuril Islands in the Western Pacific. ...

Fresh water populations have also been introduced into the Great Lakes of North America. The most significant spawning runs are in the Columbia River, Rogue River, and Puget Sound. Within this range there are probably more than 1,000 spawning populations, yet the species is the least abundant salmon in North America. The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... Rogue River Gorge, Oregon The mouth of the Rogue River in the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach, Oregon The Rogue River is located in southwest Oregon. ... Puget Sound For the liberal arts university located in this region, see University of Puget Sound. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

The species has also established itself in the waters of the Patagonia in South America, where escaped hatchery fish have colonized rivers and established stable spawning runs. The species was introduced into New Zealand waters at the end of the nineteenth century, where it flourished. It has established spawning runs in the Hurunui, Waimakariri, Rangatata and particularly the Rakaia rivers. While other salmon were introduced into New Zealand, only Chinook (or Quinant as it is known locally in NZ) has established important pelagic runs. Waimakariri can refer to a number of geographical features in the province of Canterbury, New Zealand: The Waimakariri River The Waimakariri Gorge The Waimakariri District Category: ... The town of Rakaia is seated close to the southern banks of the Rakaia River on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealands South Island. ...

The Yukon River has the longest freshwater migration route of any salmon, over 3,000 kilometers from its mouth in the Bering Sea to spawning grounds upstream of Whitehorse, Yukon. A fish ladder has been constructed around the Schwatka Lake hydroelectric dam in Whitehorse to allow the passage of Chinook salmon. The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. ... Satellite photo of the Bering Sea Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean Bearing Sea with Kamchatka Peninsula and Alaska The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water north of, and separated from, the north Pacific Ocean by the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands. ... Motto: Our People, Our Strength Coordinates: Country Canada Territory Yukon County Established 1898 Government  - City Mayor Bev Buckway  - Governing body Whitehorse City Council  - MPs Larry Bagnell  - MLAs Todd Hardy Elaine Taylor Arthur Mitchell Glenn Hart Area  - City 416. ... Pool-and-weir fish ladder at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River Fishways, most commonly referred to as fish ladders but also known as fish passes, are structures placed on or around man-made barriers (such as dams and weirs) to assist the natural migration of diadromous fishes. ... Schwatka Lake is a reservoir created by the damming of the Yukon River at Whitehorse. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ...

Ecology

Chinook salmon need five things to survive:

1. food,
2. spawning habitat,
3. ocean habitat,
4. clean, oxygenated water, and
5. other salmon

First, salmon need to be able to have ample food resources, such as: planktonic diatoms, copepods, kelps, seaweeds, jellyfish, and starfish. As with all Salmonid species, Chinook feed on insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans while young, and primarily on other fish when older. Young salmon feed in streambeds for a short period of time until they are strong enough to journey out into the ocean and acquire more food. Chinook salmon are divided into two types of juveniles, ocean type and river type. Ocean type chinook migrate to salt water in the first year of their life. Stream type spend one full year in fresh water before migrating to the ocean. Once they spend a couple of years in the ocean, adult salmon grow large enough to escape most predators and return to their original streambeds to mate. Chinook salmon can have an extended life history with some fish spending from one to five years in the ocean for up to a total age of eight years. More northernly populations tend to have older life histories. General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... Orders Centrales Pennales Diatoms (Greek: (dia) = through + (temnein) = to cut, i. ... Orders Calanoida Cyclopoida Gelyelloida Harpacticoida Misophrioida Monstrilloida Mormonilloida Platycopioida Poecilostomatoida Siphonostomatoida Copepods are a group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. ... Insert non-formatted text hereLink title Families Alariaceae Chordaceae Laminariaceae Lessoniaceae Phyllariaceae Pseudochordaceae For other uses, see Kelp (disambiguation). ... Ascophyllum nodosum exposed to the sun in Nova Scotia, Canada Dead Mans Fingers (Codium fragile) off Massachusetts coast For the Marine Biology Summer internship Marine Algae by Friday Harbor Laboratories, see; Marine Algae For the band, see; Seaweed (band) For the rock musician, see; Seaweed (musician) Seaweeds are any... Orders Stauromedusae Coronatae Semaeostomeae Rhizostomae Jellyfish are marine invertebrates belonging to the Scyphozoan class. ... Orders Brisingida (100 species[1]) Forcipulatida (300 species[2]) Paxillosida (255 species[3]) Notomyotida (75 species[4]) Spinulosida (120 species[5]) Valvatida (695 species[6]) Velatida (200 species[7]) For other uses, see Starfish (disambiguation). ... Families about 200 partial list Alpheidae Ampeliscidae Amphilochidae Ampithoidae Anisogammaridae Aoridae Artesiidae Bogideillidae Bosminidae Caprellidae Corophiidae Crangonyctidae Eusiridae Gammaridae Hadziidae Haustoriidae Iphimediidae Ischyroceridae Leucothoidae Liljeborgiidae Lysianassidae Melitidae Phoxocephalidae Sebidae Talitridae Amphipoda (amphipods) include about 4600 different species of small, shrimp_like crustaceans. ... Classes & Subclasses Branchiopoda Phyllopoda Sarsostraca Remipedia Cephalocarida Maxillopoda Thecostraca Tantulocarida Branchiura Pentastomida Mystacocarida Copepoda Ostracoda Myodocopa Podocopa Malacostraca Phyllocarida Hoplocarida Eumalacostraca The nauplius larva of a dendrobranchiate Porcellio scaber, the common rough woodlouse, a terrestrial crustacean Pollicipes polymerus, the gooseneck barnacle Glyphea pseudastacus, a fossil glypheoid The crustaceans (Crustacea) are...

Second, in order for salmon to be able to spawn, they must have a healthy habitat that is sheltered by eelgrass and other seaweeds. These sea plants camouflage eggs so that they are protected from predators. Also, they help shelter infant salmon so that they have the chance to eat and grow before making the journey to the ocean to join other juveniles. Eelgrass can refer to two different plants: Marine eelgrass - Zostera marina Freshwater eelgrass - Vallisneria americana This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Countershaded Ibex are almost invisible in the Israeli desert. ...

Third, with regards to ocean habitat, it is essential that anadromous (freshwater-breeding) salmon migrate from stream beds to the oceans and have the ability to grow into adult fish. This is because these adult fish acquire the strength that is needed to travel back upstream, escape predators, and reproduce before dying. In fact, in his book King of Fish, David Montgomery writes that, "The reserves of fish at sea are important to restocking rivers disturbed by natural catastrophes". Thus, it is vitally important that fish are able to reach the oceans (without man-made obstructions like dams) so that they can grow into healthy adult fish that will further populate the species. Many types of fish undertake migrations on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annual, and with distances ranging from a few meters to thousands of kilometers. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Fourth, it is important that the bodies of water are clean and oxygenated. One sign of high productivity/growth rate in the oceans are the levels of algae. Increased levels of algae lead to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the water which is transferred into living organisms, fostering growth of underwater plants and small organisms, which salmon eat (Klinger). Also, algae can contribute in filtering the water from high levels of toxins and pollutants. Thus, it is essential that algaes and other water filtering agents are not destroyed in the oceans because they contribute to the overall well-being of the ocean food chain. A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ... In order to meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article requires cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Many of the compounds which are dangerous to the environment can also be harmful to humans in the long-term range and come from mineral and fossil sources or are produced by humans themselves. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Finally, salmon need other salmon to survive so that they can reproduce and pass on their genes in the wild. With some populations being endangered, it is important that precautions are taken to ensure that salmon are not being overfished and that habitat is being protected including appropriate management of hydro-electric and irrigation projects. If there are too few fish left because of harmful fishing and land management practices, it makes it more difficult for salmon to regenerate a more abundant population that will continue into the future. × The Traffic Light colour convention, showing the concept of Harvest Control Rule (HCR), specifying when a rebuilding plan is mandatory in terms of precautionary and limit reference points for spawning biomass and fishing mortality rate. ...

When one of these five variables is destroyed or unserviceable, it leads to a decline in salmon stock. One Seattle Times article states, "Pacific salmon have disappeared from 40 percent of their historic range outside Alaska," and concludes that it is imperative that people realize the needs of salmon and try not to contribute to destructive practices that harm salmon runs (Cameron). The daily Seattle Times is the leading newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. ...

Some populations of chinook salmon are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as either threatened or endangered. Fisheries in the U.S. and Canada are limited by impacts to weak and endangered salmon runs.

Miscellaneous

Chinook salmon are highly valued, despite their scarcity relative to other Pacific salmon along most of the Pacific coast.

Chinook are prized among Native American tribes for cultural and spiritual reasons. Many tribes celebrate "First Salmon Ceremonies" with the first spring Chinook harvested each year. Salmon fishing is still important economically for many tribal communities with Chinook typically being the most economically valuable species.

Chinooks are called "king salmon" (particularly in Alaska) because of their large size and because many consider them to be the best tasting of the salmon species. Those from the Copper River in Alaska are particularly known for their color, rich flavor, firm texture, and high Omega-3 oil content.^{[citation needed]} A fisherman (bottom center) dipnetting for salmon on the Copper River at Chitina. ... Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in certain fish tissues, and in vegetable sources such as flax seeds, walnuts, and canola oil. ...

The typical lifespan of an Alaskan Chinook salmon is 4-5 years, although some Chinooks return to the fresh water one or two years earlier than their counterparts, and are referred to as "Jack" salmon. "Jack" salmon can be half the size of an adult Chinook salmon, and are usually thrown back by sportsmen but kept by commercial fishermen.

The species was described and enthusiastically eaten by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Lewis and Clark The Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-1806) was the first United States overland expedition to the Pacific coast and back. ...

The Chinook salmon (under the name "king salmon") is the state fish of Alaska. This is a list of official U.S. state fish: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Official language(s) English[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ...

References

• Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (TSN 161980). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 30 January 2006.
• "Oncorhynchus tshawytscha". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 10 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.
• Cameron, Mindy. Salmon Return; A Public Conversation About the Future of a Northwest Icon. The Seattle Times. [Seattle, WA]. 18 August 2002.
• Christie, Patrick. Lecture. 22 April 2005. Vashon-Maury Islands Case Study: Incompatible Desires? Growth and Maintaining Salmon Populations in Puget Sound. University of Washington; Seattle, WA.
• Klinger, Terrie. Lecture. 15 April 2005. What Defines the Pacific Northwest Marine Realm Ecologically and Geographically? University of Washington; Seattle, WA.
• Montgomery, David. King of Fish: The Thousand-Year Run of Salmon. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2003.
• Sport Fishing Chinook World Record

Please note that the ITIS system URL has changed (25 September 2006). ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... FishBase is a comprehensive database of information about fish. ...

External links

• Fish Passage Center, monitoring salmon spawning and migration
• ESA Chinook Listings
• Kenai River, Alaska King Salmon Fact Page
• Potential causes of size trends in Yukon River chinook salmon populations / prepared by the United States and Canada Yukon River Joint Technical Committee, Salmon Size Subcommittee. Hosted by the Alaska State Publications Program.
• Spawning abundance of chinook salmon in the Chickamin River in 2004 / by Glenn M. Freeman, Scott A. McPherson, and Daniel J. Reed. Hosted by Alaska State Publications Program