Canada country information

Common names: Chinook, Chinook salmon, Chinook salmon
Occurrence: native
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: commercial | Ref: FAO, 1992
Aquaculture: commercial | Ref: FAO Fishery Information, Data and Statistics Service, 1993
Regulations: restricted | Ref: Fisheries Branch, 1994
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: Native to the Yukon Territory and British Columbia; transplanted into other provinces (Ref. 52559), from Northwest Territories (Ref. 58426) to Quebec (Ref. 52559). Reported from Coppermine River (Ref. 96339). Considered the most highly prized Pacific salmon for the fresh fish trade (Ref. 6885). Widely distributed from central California to the Bering Sea (Ref. 95146). Also Ref. 2850, 5723, 6793, 27436, 95143, 36433, 95480.
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html
National Fisheries Authority: https://www.ncr.dfo.ca/home_e.htm
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman, 1998
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Salmoniformes (Salmons) > Salmonidae (Salmonids) > Salmoninae
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

大鳞大麻哈鱼, Чавыча, سلمون ملكي, ... more

Main reference

Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr. 1991. (Ref. 5723)
References | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); common length : 70.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9258); max. published weight: 61.4 kg (Ref. 27547); max. reported age: 9 years (Ref. 12193)

Length at first maturity
L_m 82.2 range ? - ? cm

Environment

Marine; freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; anadromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 375 m (Ref. 58426)

Climate / Range

Temperate; ? - 25°C (Ref. 35682), preferred 4°C (Ref. 107945); 72°N - 27°N, 136°E - 109°W (Ref. 54251)

Distribution

Arctic, Northwest to Northeast Pacific: drainages from Point Hope, Alaska to Ventura River, California, USA; occasionally strays south to San Diego in California, USA. Also in Honshu, Japan (Ref. 6793), Sea of Japan (Ref. 1998), Bering Sea (Ref. 2850) and Sea of Okhotsk (Ref. 1998). Found in Coppermine River in the Arctic. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-14; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 13 - 19; Vertebrae: 67 - 75. Distinguished by the small black spots on the back and on the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin, and the black gums of the lower jaw (Ref. 27547). Body fusiform, streamlined, noticeably laterally compressed in large adults, somewhat deeper than other species (Ref. 6885). Gill rakers wide-spaced and rough; pelvic fins with axillary process (Ref. 27547). Fish in the sea are dark greenish to blue black on top of head and back, silvery to white on the lower sides and belly; numerous small, dark spots along back and upper sides and on both lobes of caudal; gum line of lower jaw black (Ref. 27547). In fresh water, with the approach of the breeding condition, the fish change to olive brown, red or purplish, the color change being more marked in males than in females (Ref. 27547).

Adults return to natal streams from the sea to spawn (Ref. 27547). Fry may migrate to the sea after only 3 months in fresh water, some may stay for as long as 3 years, but generally most stay a year in the stream before migrating (Ref. 27547). Some individuals remain close inshore throughout their lives, but some make extensive migrations (Ref. 27547, 44894). Also found in lakes (Ref. 1998). Possibly up to 375 m depth (Ref. 6793). Epipelagic (Ref. 58426). Food in streams is mainly terrestrial insects and small crustaceans; in the sea, major food items include fishes, crustaceans, and other invertebrates (Ref. 27547). Young are preyed upon by fishes and birds (such as mergansers and kingfishers); adults are prey of large mammals and large birds (Ref. 1998). Highly regarded game fish (Ref. 27547). Flesh is usually red, but some are white; the red meat commands a higher price (Ref. 27547). Marketed fresh, smoked, frozen, and canned. Eaten steamed, fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved, and baked (Ref. 9988). Viscera said to contain high vitamin A content and used successfully as food for hatchery fish (Ref. 28971, 28977).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Potential pest (Ref. 12257)

Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD₅₀ = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.4 ±0.7 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=4; tmax=9; Fec=4,000)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
High to very high vulnerability (68 of 100)

Price category (Ref. 80766)
Very high

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum, 1792)