February 23, 2012

Keta Salmon on the West Coast

Chum salmon have a broader spawning distribution than any other species of Pacific salmon.  Traditionally , bud salmon were distributed across the coastal regions of western Canada and the U. S.

California salmon have been noted as far south as the San Lorenzo Brook in Monterey Bay, with sea catches as far south as Del Mar. One or two spawning runs still happen in some of the tributaries of the Sacramento and Klamath brooks. Presently, major spawning populations are found only as far south as Tillamook Bay on the northwards Oregon coast. Periodically, mate salmon will show up in streams further south along the Oregon and California coasts with few, if any, known pal salmon spawning grounds in streams close by. They either stray hundreds of miles from the closest spawning areas in some years, or they maintain populations in areas along these coasts that’ve been poorly surveyed. Chum Salmon and Dog Salmon Are Also Known Names Keta Salmon belong to the family Salmonidae.

It is more typically known as friend or dog salmon and is among the 8 species of Pacific salmonids in the genus Oncorhynchus. The systematic name keta comes from the Nanai folks, who live close to the Amur River along the border of China and the Russian Federation. Keta in their language interprets to the fish. The species is perhaps most well-known for its unique breeding coloration and spawning morphology. Chum salmon have been documented to spawn from Korea and the Japanese island of Honshu, east, around the edge of the North Pacific Ocean to southern California.