TABLE 3. — Differences between years and species of salmon in frequency of occurrence 

 of food items foimd in stomachs of salmon collected in Southeastern Alaska, 1957-58 



[Based on total occurrence of all food items] 



^ Total of 164 stomachs examined in 1957, 210 in 1958. 

 2 Total of 200 stomachs examined in 1957, 222 in 1958. 



^ Small fillets of herring obviously prepared by fishermen; undigested appar- 

 ently as a res\ilt of a fixative- used in their preparation. 



By Lengths of Salmon 



Stomach samples were received 

 from fish ranging in length from 17.5 

 to 47.5 inches. Mean length of king 

 salmon samples was 32.4 inches; mean 

 length of coho salmon samples was 

 27.0 inches. Figure 5 illustrates the 

 percentage frequency of occurrence 

 of herring and other food items in 

 stomachs of king and coho salmon of 

 various lengths. For example, king 



salmon averaging 30 inches in length 

 contained 56.9 percent herring and 

 43.1 percent other food items. Large 

 king salmon usually contained a greater 

 percentage of herring than did small 

 salmon, a phenomenon that has also 

 been observed by other investigators 

 (Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 

 1954). Although samples of king salmon 

 shorter than 22.5 inches contained no 

 herring, those longer than 42.5 inches 

 contained a high percentage. Stomach 



