THE PACIFIC SALMON 



Five species of salmon tire native 

 to botli North Pacific Ocean coasts, 

 from Monterey Bay in California 

 and from northern Japan on the 

 Asiatic coast, northward to and 

 somewhat beyond Bering Strait be- 

 t ween Alaska and the Soviet Union, 

 One additional species that is not 

 native to the North American coast 

 is found in northern Japan. 



Attempts have been made to in- 

 troduce various species of Pacific 

 salmon into waters of the eastern 

 coast of the United States, as well 

 as into waters of many foreign 

 countries and the Hawaiian Islands. 

 Chinook and red (sockeye) salmon 

 have been planted in waters of 17 

 Gulf and Atlantic Coast States. 

 Introductions of the species have 

 been successful only in southern 

 Chile and in southern New Zealand, 

 although temporary success has at- 

 tended the efforts to establish chi- 

 nook, sockeye, and silver salmon in 

 the coastal streams of eastern Can- 

 ada and northeastern United States. 

 These efforts and successes, as well 

 as the factors apparently limiting 

 the habitat of Pacific salmon, are re- 

 ported by Davidson and Hutchinson 

 (1938). No substantial and suc- 

 cessful efforts to transfer species 

 have been undertaken since their 

 report. 



]\Iany lakes in Canada and in 

 northern United States contain 

 landlocked red or sockeye salmon. 

 Within the natural range of sockeye 

 salmon, many individuals remain in 

 the lakes by choice; whereas else- 

 where the species has been stocked 

 in lakes not accessible from the 



ocean. Tliese lake-dwelling forms 

 generally have the same life cycle 

 as their ocean-reared brothers but 

 usually attain not more than half 

 their size. 



Life History 



All the species of Pacific salmon 

 are anadromous, that is, they spend 

 a portion of their lives in the ocean 

 and at maturity ascend fresh- water 

 streams to spawn. All have the 

 same general pattern of life. Early 

 life is in fresh water ; growth to ma- 

 turity is in the ocean ; and maturity- 

 is followed by the return to the orig- 

 inal stream to spawn and die. There 

 is no authenticated record of a 

 Pacific salmon surviving the first 

 spawning and returning to the 

 ocean. There are variations among 

 species and within species with re- 

 gard to the length of time spent in 

 fresh-water and in salt-water habi- 

 tats. Man-made conditions have 

 resulted in considerable deviation 

 from the natural schedules of salm- 

 on, often with disastrous conse- 

 quences to the population of salmon. 



"When salmon enter fresh water 

 OTi their spawning migrations, they 

 cease feeding. Pink and chum 

 salmon, being "short-run" species, 

 may stop taking food while still 

 in salt water and some distance 

 from their home streams. Chinook 

 and silver salmon, the principal 

 sport species, strike at lures prob- 

 ably in annoyance rather than as 

 possible food after entering the 

 brackish and fresh waters of their 

 streams. Sustenance for the fish 

 during the journeys up the river 



