Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) is a saltwater, freshwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 0–250 m.
Scientific name: Oncorhynchus keta · Water: Saltwater, Freshwater, Brackish
Size: up to 100 cm
The chum salmon is an anadromous salmonid that inhabits the ocean and coastal streams; migrating fry form schools in estuaries, remain close to shore for a few months and then disperse to enter the sea, and adults cease feeding in fresh water. It is epipelagic, and juveniles and adults feed mainly on copepods, tunicates and euphausiids but also on pteropods, squid and small fishes. Males and females die after spawning. It is recorded from the surface down to 250 m. Its range is the North Pacific, from Korea, Japan and the Okhotsk and Bering Seas, and arctic Alaska south to San Diego, California. Maximum length is about 100 cm fork length, commonly about 58 cm total length, and it can live seven years, maturing at about 70 cm. It is a highly commercial species and a gamefish, with a medium price category; the catch is mostly canned but is also sold fresh, dried-salted, smoked and frozen, and it is utilized for caviar. Fishing vulnerability is moderate to high at 49 of 100 and resilience medium, and climate vulnerability is high to very high at 71 of 100. IUCN lists it as least concern.
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