﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  13 
  

  

  THE 
  DOG 
  SALMON. 
  

  

  The 
  dog 
  salmon 
  [Oncorhynchus 
  Tceta) 
  is 
  tlie 
  least 
  valuable 
  of 
  the 
  

   Pacific 
  salmons, 
  although 
  it 
  is 
  dried 
  in 
  large 
  quautities 
  by 
  the 
  Alaskan 
  

   natives. 
  Its 
  average 
  weight 
  is 
  12 
  pounds 
  and 
  the 
  maximum 
  is 
  about 
  

   20 
  pounds. 
  It 
  is 
  found 
  from 
  San 
  Francisco 
  to 
  Kamchatka, 
  being 
  

   especially 
  abundant 
  in 
  Alaska. 
  The 
  enlargement 
  and 
  distortion 
  of 
  

   the 
  jaws 
  give 
  the 
  species 
  a 
  very 
  repulsive 
  look. 
  When 
  just 
  from 
  the 
  

   ocean, 
  the 
  flesh 
  has 
  a 
  beautiful 
  red 
  color 
  and 
  is 
  not 
  unpalatable, 
  but 
  it 
  

   deteriorates 
  rapidly 
  in 
  fresh 
  water. 
  Larger 
  quantities 
  are 
  utilized 
  in 
  

   Puget 
  Sound 
  than 
  elsewhere 
  in 
  the 
  Pacific 
  States. 
  

  

  THE 
  STEELHEAD. 
  

  

  Another 
  anadromous 
  salmonoid 
  fish 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast, 
  popu- 
  

   larly 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  salmon, 
  is 
  the 
  steelhead 
  {Salmo 
  gairdneri), 
  known 
  

   also 
  as 
  Gairdner's 
  trout, 
  hardhead, 
  winter 
  salmon, 
  square-tailed 
  trout, 
  

   and 
  salmon 
  trout. 
  It 
  resembles 
  in 
  form, 
  size, 
  and 
  general 
  appearance 
  

   the 
  salmon 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  coast, 
  and 
  is 
  distinguished 
  from 
  other 
  Pacific 
  

   coast 
  salmon 
  by 
  its 
  square 
  tail 
  in 
  the 
  spawning 
  season, 
  its 
  small 
  head, 
  

   round 
  snout, 
  comparatively 
  slender 
  form, 
  light-colored 
  flesh, 
  and 
  its 
  

   habit 
  of 
  spawning 
  in 
  spring. 
  It 
  is 
  more 
  slender 
  than 
  the 
  quinnat 
  and 
  

   consequently 
  not 
  so 
  heavy 
  for 
  its 
  length. 
  The 
  average 
  weight 
  in 
  the 
  

   Columbia 
  is 
  about 
  10 
  pounds, 
  although 
  sometimes 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  30 
  

   pounds 
  is 
  attained. 
  

  

  Its 
  range 
  is 
  very 
  extended, 
  reaching 
  from 
  Santa 
  Barbara 
  on 
  the 
  

   southern 
  coast 
  of 
  California 
  to 
  the 
  Alaska 
  Peninsula, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  to 
  

   the 
  Arctic 
  Ocean, 
  and 
  it 
  7S 
  found 
  in 
  almost 
  all 
  the 
  streams 
  of 
  the 
  

   Pacific 
  States 
  which 
  emi)ty 
  into 
  the 
  ocean. 
  It 
  begins 
  to 
  enter 
  the 
  

   Columbia 
  in 
  the 
  fall, 
  and 
  is 
  then 
  in 
  prime 
  condition. 
  From 
  this 
  time 
  it 
  

   deteriorates 
  until 
  the 
  following 
  spring, 
  when, 
  between 
  the 
  mouths 
  of 
  

   February 
  and 
  May, 
  spawning 
  occurs. 
  The 
  fish's 
  movements 
  in 
  other 
  

   rivers 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  are 
  not 
  materially 
  difterent, 
  though 
  perhaps 
  it 
  enters 
  

   the 
  southern 
  rivers 
  earlier 
  and 
  the 
  northern 
  rivers 
  later 
  than 
  the 
  

   Columbia. 
  Like 
  the 
  chinook, 
  the 
  steelhead 
  ascends 
  rivers 
  for 
  long 
  

   distances, 
  and 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  almost 
  as 
  far 
  up 
  the 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  

   Columbia 
  as 
  the 
  ascent 
  of 
  fish 
  is 
  possible. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  nuich 
  smaller 
  

   than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  quinnat 
  salmon 
  and 
  average 
  3,000 
  to 
  5,000 
  to 
  the 
  fish. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  greatest 
  (quantities 
  of 
  steelheads 
  are 
  caught 
  in 
  the 
  spriug, 
  

   when 
  they 
  are 
  spawning 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  deteriorated 
  condition, 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  

   generally 
  esteemed 
  as 
  food. 
  When 
  they 
  come 
  fresh 
  from 
  the 
  sea 
  and 
  

   are 
  in 
  good 
  condition, 
  however, 
  their 
  flesh 
  is 
  excellent. 
  As 
  the 
  demand 
  

   for 
  salmon 
  has 
  increased, 
  steelheads 
  have 
  been 
  utilized 
  for 
  canning 
  

   and 
  they 
  have 
  formed 
  a 
  noteworthy 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  canned 
  salmon 
  from 
  

   the 
  Columbia 
  River 
  for 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  j^ears 
  past, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  from 
  the 
  short 
  

   coast 
  rivers 
  of 
  Washington 
  and 
  Oregon. 
  Their 
  consuni])ti(m 
  fresh 
  has 
  

   been 
  increasing 
  yearly 
  and 
  considerable 
  quantities 
  have 
  been 
  sent 
  to 
  

   the 
  Eastern 
  States 
  in 
  refrigerator 
  cars. 
  

  

  