ECOLOGICAL DATA
Distribution: spawn in coastal streams and larger
rivers; extensive feeding migration in Pacific Ocean.
Habitat: adults migrate up rivers to spawn in Sep and Oct; eggs laid in gravel
redds and fry emerge from Mar to May and migrate directly to estuary; may remain in tidal
channels of estuary for several days but school and rear in shallow (less than 1 m)
nearshore water for 1-2 weeks (35-45 mm); rear in adjacent, deeper water as they grow; in
July juveniles begin to migrate from inshore to ocean; make extensive ocean feeding
migrations over 18 months; adults home to natal river to spawn at 2 yr, but may hold at
mouth for several days or weeks before migrating upstream.
Tidal elevation: fry rear in shallow nearshore; larger juveniles and adults
feed and migrate in deeper water.
Food: fry feed on epibenthos (i.e. harpacticoid copepods) in shallow
water; juveniles prey on zooplankton (copepods, barnacle larvae, euphausiid eggs and
amphipods) and terrestrial insects; smolts and adults eat euphausiids, amphipods,
copepods, squid and small fish (e.g. herring, eulachon).
Predators: fishes, birds, marine mammals and bears.
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GROWTH RATE
Rapid; fry 35 mm in May grow to 100 mm Jul in Georgia Strait;
reach sexual maturity at 2 yr.
FISHERY
Important commercial
species; support Native and minor sport fisheries; 1986 commercial catch was 29,264 t
valued at $25.7 million.
REFERENCES
Godin, J.-G.J. 1981. Daily patterns of feeding behaviour, daily
rations, and diets of juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in two marine
bays of British Columbia. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 38: 10-15.
Healey, M.C. 1967. Orientation of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) during
early marine migration from Bella Coola River system. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 24:
2321-2338.
Healey, M.C. 1980. The ecology of juvenile salmon in Georgia Strait, British
Columbia., p. 203-229. In W.J. McNeil and D.C. Himsworth [ed.] Salmonid ecosystems
of the North Pacific. Ore. State Univ. Press, Corvallis.
Manzer, J.I. 1956. Distribution and movement of young Pacific salmon during early
ocean residence. Fish. Res. Board Can. Pac. Progr. Rep. 106: 24-28.
Neave, F. 1966. Salmon of the north Pacific Ocean - Part III. A review of the life
history of north Pacific salmon. 5. Pink salmon in British Columbia. Int. North Pac. Fish.
Comm. Bull. 18: 71-79.
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