Chinook Salmon Research Paper

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One of the largest salmon species in the Pacific Ocean is the Chinook salmon. The Chinook, is big, weighing in on average between approximately 30 to 120 pounds. The Chinook is 3 feet long and can grow to over 5 feet in length. It has as wonderful blue-green shade of color on its back with silver sides. The tail and upper fin have irregular black spots and the gums of its mouth are distinctively black. Male salmon have hooked noses at the top of their mouths and ridged backs; the females have no ridges on their backs. The Chinook salmon eats primarily small insects, crustaceans, and small fish. Chinook salmon live to be about 3-7 years of age, and they live in the colder waters of the Pacific Ocean for the majority of their …show more content…

Adult salmon lay their eggs in freshwater streams and rivers. The fish emerge from the spawning redds from April to June, depending on the areas, water temperature, and weather conditions. Juveniles begin migrating in late summer and may even overwinter in the Snake River. Some juvenile fish enter the ocean as sub yearlings, while others enter as yearlings. The Chinook salmon spend 2-4 years feeding in the open ocean prior to returning to fresh water to complete the life-cycle. Chinook salmon usually breed in the summer and fall. They are considered diadromous, which means that they spend a part of their lives in the ocean which is salt water, and the other half in fresh water streams. Male and female salmon pair up to breed at their birth stream. The female digs a nesting hole called a redd. She deposits her eggs, generally thousands, in the redd before the male deposits the sperm. After mating, the male and female protect the eggs from other animals. Both the male and female will die before the eggs hatch providing nutrients for the juvenile fish. The optimal water temperatures for the Chinook ranges from 16–18 C (59–64 F) with temperatures exceeding 23 C (73 F) being lethal (Wydoski and Whitney

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