FAQs about the Natural History of the Inside Passage

18. How many types of salmon are common in Southeast Alaska and how do they differ?

There are five major species of salmon in Southeast Alaska. All are anadromous—they live in the sea and enter freshwater systems to spawn.

	The Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is Alaska's state fish and is one of the most important sport and commercial fish native to Southeast Alaska. It is the largest of all Pacific salmon, with weights of individual fish commonly exceeding 30 pounds. The Chinook salmon has numerous local names including: Chinook, spring salmon, quinnat, tyee, tule, blackmouth, and king. Adults are distinguished by the black irregular spotting on the back and dorsal fins and on both lobes of the tail fin. Chinook salmon also have a black pigment along the gum line.
	Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) have the widest distribution of any of the Pacific salmon. Chum salmon are the most abundant commercially harvested salmon species in arctic, northwestern, and interior Alaska, but are of relatively less importance in Southeast and other areas of the state. They are difficult to distinguish from Sockeye and Coho salmon without examining their gills or tail fin scale patterns. After nearing fresh water, however, the Chum salmon changes color, displaying vertical bars of green and purple that give them the common name—calico salmon. The males develop the typical hooked snout of Pacific salmon and very large teeth that partially account for their other name—dog salmon.
	Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) are also called silver salmon. Adults usually weigh 8 to 12 pounds and are 24 to 30 inches long. They can be distinguished from Chinook salmon by the lack of black spots on the lower lobe of the tail and they have gray gums. The Coho salmon is a premier sport fish and is taken in fresh and salt water from July to September.
	The Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) is also known as the humpback because of its very pronounced, laterally flattened hump that develops on the backs of adult males before spawning. It is the bread-and-butter fish in many Alaskan coastal fishing communities because of its importance to commercial fisheries and local economies. The Pink salmon is the smallest of the Pacific salmon found in North America with an average weight of about 3.5 to 4 pounds and average length of 20 to 25 inches. An adult fish returning to coastal waters is bright steely blue on top and silvery on the sides with many large black spots on the back and tail fin. Its scales are very small and the flesh is pink.
Breeding Male Salmon Source: National Park Service	The Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), often referred to as red or blueback salmon, can be distinguished from Chinook, Coho, and Pink salmon by the lack of large, black spots and from Chum salmon by their gill pattern. Breeding males develop a humped back and elongated, hooked jaws filled with sharp canine-like teeth. Both sexes turn brilliant to dark red on the back and sides, pale to olive-green on the head and upper jaw, and white on the lower jaw. Sockeye salmon are the preferred species for canning due to the rich red color of their flesh. Today, however, more than half of the sockeye salmon catch is sold frozen rather than canned.

Additonal Resources:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game – Wildlife Notebook Series
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission – Anadromous Fish Life History Profiles

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