Pacific Salmon
Oncorhynchus spp.
Facts About Pacific Salmon
-Coho and Chinook salmon, along with Cutthroat and Steelhead
trout, are among the anadromous fishes found at Siletz Bay NWR
-Young salmon undergo changes both internal and external as
they leave rivers for the sea: skin pattern shifts from the vertical bars and
spots known as “parr marks” to the dark dorsum and white venter of
ocean-dwelling adults; liver and kidneys adapt to deal with a saline
environment
-Pacific salmon make the trip from ocean to spawning stream
only once; Atlantic salmon may repeat this cycle several times in a lifespan
-Spawned-out Pacific salmon founder and die along the banks
of streams and rivers, feeding countless species and decomposing into nutrients
vital to forests and surrounding ecosystems
Last Updated: Sep 10, 2015