Sockeye Salmon
(Oncorhynchus nerka)
STATUS: Endangered
(The Cultus and Sakinaw populations are endangered)
Canadian origin:
Lakes and rivers in British Columbia
Destination:
Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean
Habitat:
Sockeye salmon can be found in the northern Pacific Ocean and rivers that discharge into it. They remain in the freshwater lake they are born in for two to three years and then migrate to the ocean, travelling up to 1,600 kilometres. They remain in the open ocean for one to four years, then return to their natal lakes to breed and spawn. The endangered sockeye salmon population born in Cultus Lake, B.C., return to spawn in the lake through the Fraser River.
Food sources:
Sockeye salmon feed on zooplankton, as well as small aquatic organisms such as shrimp.
Fun fact:
Sockeye salmon are an anadromous fish, meaning they migrate from the sea to fresh water to spawn.
Rand, P.S. 2011. 2014. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 28 November 2014. Ocean range derived from Department of Fisheries and Oceans map: pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/species-especes/salmon-saumon/facts-infos/sockeye-rouge-eng.html
