Salmonidas 71 



settled. These dwarf forms, called kokos by the Indians and 

 benimasu in Japan, form the subspecies Oncorhynchus nerka 

 kennerlyi. The flesh in this species is firmer than that of any 

 other and very red, of good flavor, though drier and less rich 

 than the king-salmon. 



The silver salmon, or coho (Oncorhynchus milktschitsch , or 

 kisutch), reaches a weight of 5 to 8 pounds. It has 13 devel- 

 oped rays in the anal, 13 branchiostegals, 23 (10 + 13) gill-rakers, 

 and 45 to 80 pyloric cceca. There are about 127 scales in the 

 lateral line. The scales are thin and all except those of the 

 lateral line readily fall off. This feature distinguishes the species 

 readily from the red salmon. In color it is silvery in spring, 

 greenish above, and with a few faint black spots on the upper 

 parts only. In the fall the males are mostly of a dirty red. 

 The flesh in this species is of excellent flavor, but pale in color, 

 and hence less valued than that of the quinnat and the red 

 salmon. 



The dog-salmon, calico salmon, or chum, called sake in 

 Japan (Oncorhynchus keta), reaches an average weight of about 

 7 to 10 pounds. It has about 14 anal rays, 14 branchiostegals, 

 24 (9 + 15) gill-rakers, and 140 to 185 pyloric cceca. There are 

 about 150 scales in the lateral line. In spring it is dirty 

 silvery, immaculate, or sprinkled with small black specks, the 

 fins dusky, the sides with faint traces of gridiron-like bars. In 

 the fall the male is brick-red or blackish, and its jaws are greatly 

 distorted. The pale flesh is well flavored when fresh, but pale 

 and mushy in texture and muddy in taste when canned. It is 

 said to take salt well, and great numbers of salt dog-salmon are 

 consumed in Japan. 



The humpback salmon, or pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gor- 

 buscha), is the smallest of the American species, weighing from 

 3 to 5 pounds. It has usually 15 anal rays, 12 branchiostegals, 

 28 (13 + 15) gill-rakers, and about 180 pyloric cceca. Its scales 

 are much smaller than in any other salmon, there being 180 

 to 240 in the lateral line. In color it is bluish above, silvery 

 below, the posterior and upper parts with many round black 

 spots, the caudal fin always having a few large black spots 

 oblong in form. The males in fall are dirty red, and are more 

 extravagantly distorted than in any other of the Salmonida. 



