The salmon family has a large number of species and subspecies, among which pink salmon or pink salmon occupies an honorable place. It is known worldwide for its delicious, very healthy meat and coarse caviar, which are widely used in cooking. Where dwells, what eats, how much this fish lives - further in the article.

Origin and description

Pink salmon belongs to the salmon family.

Important! While throwing eggs, females turn black, and males have teeth cut out and a hump appears on their back (because of this name).

It differs from its brothers in such external signs:

• in salty oceanic conditions the back of adults is colored bluish or blue-green, the sides are silvery, the belly is light;
• in a fresh environment, the butt is made light gray, the abdomen is yellow-green;
• has a fat fin growing from dorsal to caudal, anal fin;
• oblong head;
• toothless mouth white;
• round dark spots are visible on the back, especially a lot of them on the tail section;
• males are longer and larger than females;
• medium-sized easily detachable scales;
• the largest caviar of all representatives (5–8 mm).

Features and Features

Pink salmon is a passing fish.

She has the following characteristic features described in the table below:

Types of pink salmon and their differences

Pink salmon is a homogeneous species with no subspecies. This is due to the ability of representatives of distant populations to interbreed with each other; fish also mainly live in the same conditions of the ocean, migrating for some time for spawning, its life span is quite short, and the species is resistant to the effects of climatic environmental factors during caviar throwing.

But external changes in adult fishes are noted, differentiating between those that swim in the oceans or live in rivers. There are differences between individuals entering brood in even and odd years. They are conventionally called sea or river pink salmon.

Where dwells

The habitat of pink salmon is considered cool fresh and salty water bodies. Namely: the American and Asian coasts of the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, from the Sacramento River in Northern California to the Mackenzie River in Canada, from the Lena River in Siberia to Korea. The optimal climatic conditions for living vary within +5 ... + 14 ° С. Otherwise (especially in warm conditions) the population dies very quickly.

Did you know? The pink color of meat is due to the fact that small predators eat many crustaceans, whose shells contain this pigment.

Where is pink salmon found in Russia?

The main part of its existence, the humpback fish inhabits the salty coastal waters of the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Fertilized floats in fresh rivers. Some of them are located in Russia, namely: Amur, Indigirka, Kolyma, Yana, Lena.

Kamchatka is the leader in catching pink salmon. Its amount is about 80% of the total salmon catch.

In addition, it can be found off the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, and the Magadan Region. In the Far East, it all depends on whether the year is even or odd. For example, pink salmon is better caught in odd years in Primorye, and even in even Amur.

Important! Absolutely all fry hatched from eggs are female. After some time, some of them change and look like males.

What does pink salmon eat

Red fish prefers to eat fresh nutritious food. It includes a small fish, fry, crustaceans. Pink salmon is hunted at any time of the day. Thanks to this, adult individuals grow quite quickly and gain mass. After 1.5 years, they can lay eggs and breed. Pink larvae consume insects and crustaceans.

Breeding

At the age of 2 years, pink salmon goes to spawn in the freshwater rivers in spring.

Reproduction of pink salmon is carried out in this way:

1. In August, females dig small pits at the bottom with their tails.
2. Spawn (approximately 800-2400 pcs.).
3. Males fertilize her.
4. The eggs are covered with sand and stones.
5. Adult fish die.
6. In November – December, fry hatch from eggs.
7. At first, they feed on substances from the yolk sac.
8. At the beginning of summer, the fry emerge from their nests and go to the ocean, eating various algae, small crustaceans, etc. during this period.
9. Young live in the ocean until the coming summer.

Natural enemies of pink salmon

Throughout the short life of pink salmon, she comes across a lot of enemies eating her meat.

These include:

• during caviar throwing, an impressive number of eggs are eaten by predatory fishes, which include malma, char, lenok, grayling, and kunja;
• young larvae sliding into the salty waters are lurking for toothed smelt, predatory fish, wild ducks and seagulls;
• the oldest individuals in the ocean are eaten by beluga whales, seals, herring shark;
• in the breeding season, bears, otters and eagles are at risk for parental individuals.

Population and species status

Experts argue that there is no threat to the extinction of humpback fish. This is due to the ability of the smallest representative of salmon to produce significantly numerous offspring. Neither natural (climatic) change, nor the main enemies, nor industrial catches can globally affect the reduction of pink salmon population. There are also special incubators that grow and produce fry. Therefore, there is no need to breed red fish under unnatural conditions, since the status of this species of salmon-like is stable.

Did you know? Chromium, found in pink salmon meat, regulates blood sugar and enhances insulin in diabetes. It is enough to eat 100 g of the finished product to replenish the daily supply of useful trace elements.

Fish application

Pink salmon is a rather valuable commercial fish. Her meat is widely used in cooking. Soup, a variety of salts, salads, sushi, cold snacks can be prepared from pink salmon; it is ideal for stewing, frying, baking, smoking, stuffing, etc. The fish fillet has a pleasant taste and contains a large number of beneficial substances. But some nuances should be taken into account: pink salmon is recommended to be consumed when it is caught before spawning. Because under such conditions, its meat has a dense consistency and high taste indices. After throwing caviar, the fillet becomes loose and stiff. Almost no catches are held at this time.

Pink salmon is a vibrant and numerous representative of salmonids. Dishes made from this red fish are popular with a lot of people. They are not only very tasty, but also quite useful, which is extremely necessary for the normal functioning of the human body.