Kokanee Salmon
scientific name
Oncorhynchus nerka
size/weight/height
Head/Body Length: 21-23 in.
Weight: 5-8 lbs.
adaptations/coloration
Color:
For most of the year kokanee salmon are a blue-green with silver
sides; the females have dark spots along their backs. In the fall as
breeding season approaches the males turn a red-orange color and their
snout grows longer and more hooked. Females turn a deep gray with dark
pink sides.
behavior
Migration:
The kokanee spends its entire life in freshwater lakes. Mature
kokanee (3 or 4 years old) migrate upstream and land over gravel bars
to spawn. Kokanee have a strong sense of smell, which allows them to
return to their river of origin for spawning. Migration occurs in the
fall from September to October.
reproduction/lifespan
Lifespan:
up to 4 years. Mating:
Kokanee mate in the fall along lake edges or inlet streams Gestation:
Females make nests and lay 300 to 1500 eggs and die within a few
days. Kokanee spawn only once during their life cycle. Birth:
Kokanee hatch in December or January and migrate to larger waters. Rearing:
Kokanee rear for one or two years in a lake, although they are also
found in the inlet and outlet streams of the lake.
diet
In the
wild kokanee eat plankton and immature insects.
habitat/range
Western
United States from Northern California to Northern Alaska. They are
also found in Russia and Japan.
oregon zoo exhibit
Eagle Canyon
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