The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) - derived from the Greek words onkos (hook), rynchos (nose), is a species of Anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is a Pacific salmon and is variously known as the King salmon, tyee salmon, Columbia River salmon, black salmon, chub salmon, hook bill salmon, winter salmon and blackmouth.

Appearance

The Chinook salmon is blue-green on the back and top of the head with silvery sides and white ventral surfaces. It has black spots on the upper half of its body and the mouth is a dark gray. Adult fish may be up to 58 inches (1.8 Metres) in length and weigh up to 129 pounds (50Kg).

Reproduction

Chinook salmon may spend between 1 to 8 years in the ocean before returning to their home rivers to spawn, though the average is 3 to 4 years. Chinnok prefer larger and deeper water to spawn in than other species of Salmon and can be found on the spawning redds from September through to December. Fry and parr usually stay in freshwater from 12 to 18 months before travelling downstream to estuaries, where they remain as smolts for several months.

Range

Chinook salmon range from Santa Barbara in California up to Alaska and the whole pacific coast in between. The most significant spawning runs are in the Columbia River, Rogue River, and Puget Sound.

Ecology

As for all Salmod speciea, Chinoook feed on insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans while young, and primarily on other fish when older.

Commerce

Chinook salmon are highly valued, despite their scarcity relative to other Pacific salmon along most of the Pacific coast.