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Field ID Guide to Juvenile Salmon copy.pdfTo view this booklet on a separate page, click on the Pop out arrow in the top right corner.
To view this booklet on a separate page, click on the Pop out arrow in the top right corner.
Pacific salmon are of great cultural, ecological and economic value to the people of the West Coast. They are familiar to us, but telling the difference between the species is difficult. This book is a comprehensive field identification guide to Pacific salmon in a very useful format. It also gives the natural history and conservation status of Pacific salmon and explains how to observe these fish in the wild.
Pacific salmon are of great cultural, ecological and economic value to the people of the West Coast. They are familiar to us, but telling the difference between the species is difficult. This book is a comprehensive field identification guide to Pacific salmon in a very useful format. It also gives the natural history and conservation status of Pacific salmon and explains how to observe these fish in the wild.
This book provides details about the seven Pacific salmonid species―sockeye, coho, Chinook, pink, chum, steelhead and coastal cutthroat, and describes the characteristics of each. The information is divided into the five parts, one for each stage of a salmon's life: fry, smolt, post smolt, ocean adult and spawner.
This book provides details about the seven Pacific salmonid species―sockeye, coho, Chinook, pink, chum, steelhead and coastal cutthroat, and describes the characteristics of each. The information is divided into the five parts, one for each stage of a salmon's life: fry, smolt, post smolt, ocean adult and spawner.
There are many excellent photos, but the colour illustrations by Joseph Tomelleri are outstanding. They were drawn from real specimens and show every part of each fish in painstaking detail.
There are many excellent photos, but the colour illustrations by Joseph Tomelleri are outstanding. They were drawn from real specimens and show every part of each fish in painstaking detail.
This book is available in soft cover or waterproof edition and can be purchased from the Pacific Salmon Foundation or from your favourite bookstore.
This book is available in soft cover or waterproof edition and can be purchased from the Pacific Salmon Foundation or from your favourite bookstore.
By Dr. J. Reese Voshell, Jr., professor of entomology at Virginia Tech. Original illustrations by Amy Bartlett Wright of Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
By Dr. J. Reese Voshell, Jr., professor of entomology at Virginia Tech. Original illustrations by Amy Bartlett Wright of Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
Interest in studying freshwater invertebrates is growing, and A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America meets this demand with clear, nontechnical language. It provides background on freshwater ecosystems and simple methods for observing invertebrates in the field and lab. Nearly 100 common groups are featured, each with a color illustration and key identification tips. The guide also offers detailed insights into life histories, behavior, ecology, and human connections. Broad in both geographic and taxonomic scope, it is accessible to beginners and experienced naturalists alike.
Interest in studying freshwater invertebrates is growing, and A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America meets this demand with clear, nontechnical language. It provides background on freshwater ecosystems and simple methods for observing invertebrates in the field and lab. Nearly 100 common groups are featured, each with a color illustration and key identification tips. The guide also offers detailed insights into life histories, behavior, ecology, and human connections. Broad in both geographic and taxonomic scope, it is accessible to beginners and experienced naturalists alike.
Pacific Salmon and their Cycle of Life
Pacific Salmon and their Cycle of Life
A chronicle of the life stages of Pacific Salmon, viewed through the lives of coastal Chum Salmon.
A chronicle of the life stages of Pacific Salmon, viewed through the lives of coastal Chum Salmon.
The role of "imprinting" in the life of a salmon
The role of "imprinting" in the life of a salmon
Salmon have the amazing ability to find their way back to their “home” stream. This is made possible because as they mature they go through a natural process called imprinting. Imprinting takes place during their transition from parr to smolt. For coho this typically happens when they are about 18 months old.
Salmon have the amazing ability to find their way back to their “home” stream. This is made possible because as they mature they go through a natural process called imprinting. Imprinting takes place during their transition from parr to smolt. For coho this typically happens when they are about 18 months old.
During this transformation, the salmon's body undergoes “smoltification” when massive physiological changes take place to prepare for saltwater. One of these changes is a hormone surge that triggers the growth of new neurons in the olfactory (smell) system. It essentially "opens" a window in the brain, allowing smolt to “memorize” the specific chemical signature, the unique mixture of minerals, soil types, and decaying vegetation in the water they are currently swimming in.
During this transformation, the salmon's body undergoes “smoltification” when massive physiological changes take place to prepare for saltwater. One of these changes is a hormone surge that triggers the growth of new neurons in the olfactory (smell) system. It essentially "opens" a window in the brain, allowing smolt to “memorize” the specific chemical signature, the unique mixture of minerals, soil types, and decaying vegetation in the water they are currently swimming in.
Timing is important. The ARPSES hatchery strives to release coho smolts directly into the Stoney and Clayburn creeks during the “Smoltification” window. They must be handled carefully so stress doesn’t interfere with imprinting behaviour. If the fish are released too early or too late (after the window closes), they are much more likely to stray into the wrong river systems when they return from the ocean.
Timing is important. The ARPSES hatchery strives to release coho smolts directly into the Stoney and Clayburn creeks during the “Smoltification” window. They must be handled carefully so stress doesn’t interfere with imprinting behaviour. If the fish are released too early or too late (after the window closes), they are much more likely to stray into the wrong river systems when they return from the ocean.
After one to two years spent in the north Pacific, adult coho head for home to spawn in the fall. At first they navigate by geomagnetic orientation, sensing environmental clues such as ocean currents and the position of the sun to make their way through the Salish Sea. After entering the freshwater plume from the Fraser River they are assisted by increased stream flow due to autumn rains, as well as a built-in tendency to swim against current. In the Fraser, those coho that have survived all the hazards make their way with increasing precision using the olifactory sense to locate their home watershed and Stoney Creek
After one to two years spent in the north Pacific, adult coho head for home to spawn in the fall. At first they navigate by geomagnetic orientation, sensing environmental clues such as ocean currents and the position of the sun to make their way through the Salish Sea. After entering the freshwater plume from the Fraser River they are assisted by increased stream flow due to autumn rains, as well as a built-in tendency to swim against current. In the Fraser, those coho that have survived all the hazards make their way with increasing precision using the olifactory sense to locate their home watershed and Stoney Creek
The wild, non-hatchery coho will have spent a full year absorbing the complete chemical signature of in Stoney Creek, with its somewhat variable water quality and flow. Hatchery coho will have received a shorter exposure period, giving them a less dependable chemical memory. This could result in spawning in a nearby tributary.
The wild, non-hatchery coho will have spent a full year absorbing the complete chemical signature of in Stoney Creek, with its somewhat variable water quality and flow. Hatchery coho will have received a shorter exposure period, giving them a less dependable chemical memory. This could result in spawning in a nearby tributary.
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