| Coho (Silver) Salmon | |
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Family: |
Salmonidae (Salmons) |
Genus and Species: |
Oncorhynchus kisutch |
Description: |
The body of the coho salmon
is elongate and somewhat compressed. The head is conical. This species is dark metallic blue or blue green above, becoming silvery on the sides and belly. There are spots on the back. The main distinguishing feature between the coho and chinook salmon is the color of the gums at the base of the teeth. Chinook salmon have a blackish lining while coho has a white lining. Cohos also have black spots only on the upper part of the tail fin, whereas chinook tail fins are completely covered with black spots. |
Range: |
Coho salmon occur from Chamalu Bay, Baja
California, to the Bering Sea and Japan. |
Natural History: |
Cohos, as all salmon, are anadromous and spawn in fresh water. At spawning time the males turn dusky green above and on their head, bright red on their sides and blackish below. The females turn a pinkish red on their side after they enter fresh water. Coho salmon enter streams, move upstream, and spawn from September through March. The bulk of spawning takes place from November through January. Adult males enter streams when they are either 2 or 3 years old, but adult females do not return to spawn until 3 years old. Almost all female coho salmon will spawn at age 3. All coho salmon, whether male or female, spend their first year in the stream or river in which they hatch. All adults die after spawning. Generally speaking, the larger the female the greater the number of eggs produced; however, numerous counts have been made that indicate most females will spawn from 1,500 to 3,500 eggs. The average number produced per female appears to be about 2,500. |
Fishing Information: |
In the ocean, coho salmon are fished primarily by trolling with dead bait (anchovy, herring, etc.) or any of several types of lures. Occasionally, live bait is used while drift fishing. The fish are usually caught within 30 feet of the surface and a heavy weight is normally used to keep a trolled lure at the desired depth. Several devices are used by recreational anglers to detach this weight when a fish strikes or is hooked. Best trolling speed appears to be about 2 knots per hour. Some coho salmon are taken off southern California; however, the ocean angler is most successful from Monterey Bay north. The bulk of the sport catch contains 6 to 10 pound fish, about 24 inches in length. |
Other Common Names: |
silver salmon, silversides, hookbill. |
Largest Recorded: |
38.5 inches; 31 pounds. |
Habitat: |
Pelagic Environment |
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