SALMON SPECIES 199 



the snout. The anal fin has i6 rays. There are 

 IS to 19 branchiostigals and 23 gill rakers. The tail 

 is forked, with black spot markings, which also 

 cover the dorsal and adipose fins. The back has a 

 bluish tint, becoming silvery below the middle ; the 

 scales are very small, numbering 135 to 155 in the 

 lateral line. 



In spring its flesh is red and rich, becoming paler 

 as the spawning season approaches. As the season 

 advances the fish becomes so dark that it is called 

 the black salmon. It is said to run to 100 lbs. weight. 

 One was caught with the rod in the Campbell River 

 in 1897 by Sir William Musgrave that weighed 

 70 lbs. There is a plaster cast of it in the Victoria 

 Museum. 



They run up the river in spring and summer, 

 travelling in some cases a distance of over a thousand 

 miles to the spawning beds on the far inland streams. 



The cohoe (jDncorhynchus alias KisutcK) is a much 

 smaller species, running up to 10 lbs. weight. It has 

 14 rays in the anal fin, 13 branchiostigals and 23 gill 

 rakers. It has 12/ scales in the lateral line. It is a 

 silvery fish, with greenish-tinted back and iridescent 

 hues when taken in the salt water. In appearance it 

 resembles the grilse of the European Salmo salar. 

 It is small-headed and well shaped. 



The sockeye salmon {Oncorhynchus iiarkd) 

 weighs from 3 to 10 lbs. There are 14 rays in the 

 anal fin, 14 branchiostigals, and 32 to 40 gill rakers. 



