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Pink Salmon

Fish

The pink salmon is the smallest of the Pacific salmon species, native to coastal waters and rivers from California's Sacramento River north through the Bering Strait and west to Japan and Korea, with strict two-year odd- and even-year populations that never interbreed. Ocean-phase fish are silvery, but spawning males develop a pronounced back hump and a hooked, white-mouthed jaw with black gums, earning the nickname humpies. Females dig gravel nests called redds and lay one to two thousand eggs before dying within days of spawning, the single-reproduction life history typical of Pacific salmon. Average adults weigh around 2.2 kilograms.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Carnivore 1
System (Realm)
Freshwater 2
System (Realm)
Marine 2
Relationship to People
Hunted or Fished 3
Relationship to People
Invasive or Introduced Species 3
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
G5 Secure 1
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
Scientific Name
Oncorhynchus gorbuscha 3
Conservation Status
Least Concern 3
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Oncorhynchus, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Pink Salmon

In Biome

Estuary, Biomes
Source NatureServe Explorer: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
Lake, Biomes
Source NatureServe Explorer: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
Neritic Zone, Biomes
Source NatureServe Explorer: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
Open Ocean, Biomes
Source NatureServe Explorer: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
River, Biomes
Source NatureServe Explorer: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha

In Ecosystem

Great Lakes, Ecosystems
Source Wikipedia: Pink Salmon
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Canada

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Chile

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

China

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Denmark

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Finland

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

France

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Germany

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Iceland

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Iran

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Ireland

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Japan

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Latvia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Mexico

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

North America

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Norway

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

South Korea

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sweden

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

United Kingdom

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. NatureServe Explorer: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
NatureServe Explorer
  • Global rank (roundedGRank)
    "roundedGRank": "G5"
  • Animal characteristics: food habits
    Adult diet includes mainly fishes, squid, euphausiids, amphipods, and copepods
  • In Biome: Lake, Species characteristics: Deep water
    "lacustrineHabitatDescEn": "Deep water"
  • In Biome: River, Species characteristics: BIG RIVER
    "riverineHabitatDescEn": "BIG RIVER"
  • In Biome: Estuary, Species characteristics: River mouth/tidal river
    "estuarineHabitatDescEn": "River mouth/tidal river"
  • In Biome: Open Ocean, Species characteristics: Pelagic
    "marineHabitatDescEn": "Pelagic"
  • In Biome: Neritic Zone, Species characteristics: Near shore
    "marineHabitatDescEn": "Near shore"
View the Source
2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
3. Wikipedia: Pink Salmon
Wikipedia
  • Wikidata Q673380 (P225 taxon name)
  • article text (relationship to people), EntityId 332430
    In 2025, the Environment Agency warned anglers to report any catches or sighting of pink salmon. The commercial harvest of pink salmon is a mainstay of fisheries of both the eastern and western Nor
  • Infobox: status
    LC
  • In Ecosystem: Great Lakes, Distribution
    Pink salmon were introduced into the Great Lakes of North America.
View the Source
4. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Salmoniformes
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 52
Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 52
"active":true,"cites_listing":"NC"
View the Source
Wikidata: Pink Salmon
  • Wikidata Q673380, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Child Taxon Of: Oncorhynchus, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon) claim, rank=normal, target=Q133325 (Oncorhynchus)
View the Source
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Salmonidae
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 351
Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 351
"active":true,"cites_listing":"NC"
View the Source
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