﻿THE 
  SALMONS 
  OF 
  THE 
  PACIFIC 
  COAST. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  five 
  species 
  of 
  salmon 
  on 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast 
  which 
  belong 
  

   to 
  the 
  genus 
  Oncorhynchus, 
  namely, 
  the 
  chinook 
  or 
  quinuat 
  salmon 
  

   {Oncorhynchu.s 
  tschaivytscha), 
  the 
  red 
  or 
  blueback 
  salmon 
  {Oncorhynchus 
  

   nerka), 
  the 
  humpback 
  salmon 
  {Oncorhynchus 
  gorhuscha), 
  the 
  silver 
  

   salmon 
  {Oncorhynchus 
  Msutch), 
  and 
  the 
  dog 
  salmon 
  {Oncorhynchus 
  Iceta). 
  

   The 
  features 
  which 
  separate 
  the 
  Pacific 
  salmons 
  from 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  salmon 
  

   are 
  not 
  marked 
  and 
  consist 
  chiefly 
  in 
  a 
  larger 
  number 
  of 
  rays 
  in 
  the 
  

   anal 
  fin, 
  and 
  more 
  branchiostegals, 
  gillrakers, 
  and 
  pyloric 
  coBca. 
  

  

  The 
  characters 
  noted 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  key 
  will 
  usually 
  be 
  sufficient 
  to 
  

   distinguish 
  the 
  diflerent 
  species 
  of 
  Pacific 
  salmon 
  : 
  

  

  Quinnat 
  salmon 
  : 
  Scales 
  in 
  longitudinal 
  series 
  from 
  135 
  to 
  155, 
  aver- 
  

   aging 
  about 
  145; 
  pyloric 
  co?ca 
  140 
  to 
  185; 
  gillrakers 
  comparatively 
  

   short 
  and 
  usually 
  23 
  in 
  number, 
  9 
  being 
  above 
  the 
  angle; 
  rays 
  in 
  anal 
  

   fin 
  IG; 
  branchiostegals 
  15 
  to 
  19. 
  Body 
  robust; 
  head 
  conic; 
  eye 
  small; 
  

   caudal 
  fin 
  deeply 
  forked. 
  Color 
  above 
  dusky, 
  sometimes 
  with 
  bluish 
  or 
  

   greenish 
  tinge 
  ; 
  sides 
  and 
  belly 
  silvery 
  ; 
  head 
  dark, 
  with 
  metallic 
  luster 
  ; 
  

   back 
  and 
  the 
  dorsal 
  and 
  caudal 
  fins 
  with 
  numerous 
  round 
  black 
  spots. 
  

  

  Bluebaclx, 
  salmon: 
  Scales 
  in 
  longitudinal 
  series 
  about 
  130; 
  pyloric 
  

   cceca, 
  75 
  to 
  95; 
  gillrakers 
  comparatively 
  long 
  and 
  32 
  to 
  40 
  in 
  number; 
  

   rays 
  in 
  anal 
  fin 
  14 
  to 
  10; 
  branchiostegals 
  13 
  to 
  15. 
  Body 
  rather 
  slen- 
  

   der; 
  caudal 
  fin 
  much 
  forked; 
  anal 
  and 
  dorsal 
  fins 
  low. 
  Color, 
  above 
  

   bright 
  blue, 
  sides 
  silvery, 
  no 
  spots. 
  

  

  Humphaclc 
  salmon 
  : 
  Scales 
  very 
  small, 
  210 
  to 
  240 
  in 
  longitudinal 
  series; 
  

   pyloric 
  coeca 
  very 
  slender, 
  about 
  180 
  in 
  number; 
  gillrakers 
  short, 
  about 
  

   28, 
  13 
  being 
  above 
  angle; 
  anal 
  rays 
  15; 
  branchiostegals 
  11 
  or 
  12. 
  

   Color, 
  bluish 
  above, 
  silvery 
  on 
  sides; 
  hind 
  part 
  of 
  back, 
  adipose 
  fin, 
  and 
  

   tail 
  with 
  numerous 
  black 
  spots, 
  largest 
  and 
  of 
  oblong 
  form 
  on 
  tail. 
  

  

  Silver 
  salmon: 
  Scales 
  large, 
  125 
  to 
  135 
  in 
  longitudinal 
  series; 
  pyloric 
  

   ccjeca 
  comparatively 
  few 
  and 
  large, 
  45 
  to 
  80 
  in 
  number; 
  gillrakers 
  long 
  

   and 
  slender, 
  23 
  in 
  number, 
  13 
  below 
  angle; 
  anal 
  rays 
  13 
  or 
  14; 
  branchi- 
  

   ostegals 
  13 
  or 
  14. 
  Body 
  long; 
  head 
  short, 
  conic; 
  snout 
  blunt; 
  eye 
  

   small; 
  fins 
  small, 
  caudal 
  deeply 
  forked. 
  Color 
  bluish- 
  green, 
  sides 
  sil- 
  

   very, 
  finely 
  punctulated 
  ; 
  spots 
  few 
  and 
  obscure 
  on 
  head, 
  back, 
  dorsal, 
  

   adipose 
  dorsal, 
  and 
  upper 
  rays 
  of 
  caudal. 
  

  

  Bog 
  salmon: 
  Scales 
  of 
  medium 
  size, 
  138 
  to 
  155 
  in 
  lateral 
  line; 
  pyloric 
  

   cceca 
  140 
  to 
  185; 
  gillrakers 
  short 
  and 
  few, 
  9 
  above 
  and 
  15 
  below 
  angle; 
  

   13 
  or 
  14 
  rays 
  in 
  anal 
  fin; 
  branchiostegals 
  13 
  or 
  14. 
  Form 
  of 
  quinnat, 
  

   but 
  head 
  longer 
  and 
  more 
  depressed. 
  Dusky 
  above 
  and 
  on 
  head, 
  paler 
  

   on 
  sides; 
  very 
  fine 
  spots 
  on 
  back 
  and 
  sides, 
  often 
  wanting; 
  tail 
  plain 
  

   dusky 
  or 
  finely 
  sjiot^ed, 
  with 
  black 
  edge; 
  other 
  fins 
  blackish. 
  

  

  7 
  

  

  