DESCRIPTION
-
The Chinook Salmon species is the largest
Pacific salmon usually about 33-36 inches
in length and weighing about 30 pounds.
Its head is conical with a rather blunt
snout, greatly extended, narrowed and
turned down at the tip in breeding males.
The mouth of these males is greatly deformed
with an enlarged lower jaw inabiling it
to close its sharp toothed jaws. The coloring
of the chinook salmon is an iridescent
green to blue-green with gold flecking
or sheen, silvery sides and a white belly.
Breeding fish are an overall olive-brown
to purple color, males darker than females.
DISTRIBUTION
- Marine adults occur in the Pacific Ocean
and rarely in the Arctic, Bering and Okhotsk
seas and the Sea of Japan. Young and spawning
tyee can be found in most of the rivers
flowing into these water bodies.
BIOLOGY
- The chinook salmon migrates as much
as 600-1200 miles upriver between July
and November. The female digs the redd
by lying on her side and thrashing the
tail up and down forming a small hole
where she lays her 4242-13 619 eggs. She
dies within a few days to 2 weeks. This
species utilizes about 260 streams in
British Columbia, fewer than do other
species. The young in fresh water feed
on terrestrial insects, Crustacea and
adults, mites, spiders and aphids. Young
chinook in fresh water are preyed on by
rainbow and cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden,
coho salmon smolts, squawfish, sculpins,
kingfisher and other diving birds.
RELATION
TO MAN - The chinook salmon has long
since been very important in the native
food fishery and in the commercial and
sport fisheries if the west coast. The
largest commercial catches take place
between May-September. They are sold fresh,
fresh-frozen or canned. Sport fishermen
find these a popular fish due to the potential
size and the fight as well as the highly
prized flesh.
