There are many different species of salmon, which is a popular anadromous fish to catch for sportfishing and commercial fishing in the Pacific. Some fishing locales have specific restrictions on different salmon species so proper identification, along with accurate weight and length estimations may be necessary.
Here are brief descriptions of six different types of salmon, including their scientific names and identifying features. Most salmon come from the Onchorhynchus genus of fish, and a few listed below are important to the canned fish business.
Steelhead Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
- Steelhead trout is a popular variety for catch and release fishing. This salmon looks like the rainbow trout when young and turns more of a silvery color when spawning time comes. Unlike lake rainbow trout, steelhead will spend part of its life seeking and living out in the ocean saltwater seas, but unlike most salmon steelhead can spawn more than once. The identifying feature of this salmon is in its mouth as the gum and interior of the mouth is white rather than a dark or dark blended color.
Chinook Salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
- The Chinook salmon is Alaska’s state fish. It is the largest of the salmon species, and it goes by many different names: ‘blackmouth’ (because of its mouth coloration), ‘king salmon’ (due to its size), and ‘spring salmon’ (Canada). Chinook salmon is important to the commercial fisheries of the Pacific Ocean because of its relative size and its meat is sought after by consumers.
Coho Salmon
Oncorhynchus kisutch
- Coho salmon also go by the name ‘silver salmon’ because of their coloring. They resemble Chinook salmon but are generally smaller than Chinook and rather than a black mouth Cohos have a gray gum line, with a distinct dark to white banding.
Chum Salmon
Oncorhynchus keta
- Chum salmon are found in many places, and also go by the name of ‘dog salmon’ (because of the prominent teeth on the males) or ‘calico salmon’ (due to their coloring). They have the opposite coloring of their gum lines than the Coho salmon, going from light to dark, then back to dark again.
Pink Salmon
Oncorhynchus gorbusha
- Pink salmon is easily identified by its characteristic hump on its back, giving its name ‘humpback’ or ‘humpy’. Pink salmon is an important salmon species in the canning business.
Sockeye Salmon
Oncorhynchus nerka
- Sockeye salmon is another popular fish for canning, and is also called ‘red salmon’ because of the brightly colored flesh which makes it ideal for preserving. Sockeye look a little different from the other salmon species in that it is relatively free of large black spots on the skin and the tail. Its lower gum line is light banding, with small teeth.
For more information on the salmon species, try reading these books on the species.
