It takes about 6 – 8 weeks for the eggs to hatch, and another 2 – 3 weeks for the fry to leave the red. Males then fertilize the eggs, and the females bury them with gravel.īoth parents perish soon after spawning. The females dig nests, or redds, in the gravel and deposit their eggs inside. They swim from the ocean upstream into creeks, streams, and rivers. Spawning salmon use their sense of smell to find their spawning grounds. They do not maintain territories in the ocean, and congregate in groups while returning to freshwater to spawn. Unlike some other species, the juvenile cohos maintain territories and do not school. Young fish spend their time in freshwater before migrating to saltwater habitats. This species’ behavior replicates that of many other salmon species. They harvest the eggs and sperm from the adult fish and fertilize them artificially. Fish farms raise the fry in freshwater habitats, and house the adults in sea pens. Some fish farms do raise the species for commercial production. Coho Salmon CareĪgain, their migratory behavior prevents aquariums from housing this species. Their migratory behavior makes it quite impossible to house this species in a home aquarium. No, this salmon does not make a good pet. Humans have not domesticated this fish in any way. The dams block access to spawning grounds and prevent the fish from reproducing. Habitat destruction also poses a danger, particularly where people build dams. Sport fishermen also target this species. Commercial fishing is a primary cause of decline, as people catch this fish for food. Human activity impacts this species quite heavily, and populations in some regions suffer faster decline than others. When they reach adulthood and migrate to the ocean, their diet contains primarily fish and squid. As juveniles, they primarily hunt for small fish, insects, insect larvae, and other invertebrates. Their diet varies based on their age, as larger fish can capture larger prey. These carnivores actively chase and hunt their prey. People also keep this species in a number of fish farms across the globe, including Europe, Russia, the United States, and more. In the eastern Pacific they live as far south as northern California. Their range extends from Japan and Russia across the Bering Sea to Alaska. This species lives along the northern Pacific Ocean. Eventually, the fish make their way to the ocean, where they remain until they hit sexual maturity. When the young hatch, they remain in freshwater creeks and streams for some time.Īs they age and grow, they move downstream into brackish water estuaries. This means that in areas with high pollution or runoff, most of the young do not survive and the populations decline.Īs is the case with other salmon species, this fish lives in different types of habitats throughout its life. Salmon and Pollution – During the alevin stage of their life, the fry have high sensitivity to contaminants.In the alevin stage the fry hide in their redds away from predators. During this stage, their yolk sac remains visible and they continue to live off of its reserves for several weeks. Alevin – When the young fish, or fry, hatch they reach the alevin stage of their life cycle.Redds – When they reach their preferred freshwater streams and creeks, the females dig shallow nests known as “redds.” They bury the clutches of eggs safely beneath the gravel to protect them from predators.Adults spend their lives in the ocean, and return to freshwater to spawn and die. The young hatch in freshwater habitats, and move to the ocean as they age. Anadromous – Like most salmon, and much of the Salmonidae family, this species has anadromous behavior.Learn more about what makes the coho unique, below. This species of salmon has a number of interesting traits and behaviors. However, some adults grow to 3 feet or longer. Most individuals measure about 2 feet long and weigh about 10 pounds on average.
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