Pink salmon: benefits and harms, cooking methods and recipes. Pink salmon fish - sea or river, where pink salmon fish lives photos

Pink salmon is a representative of the salmon species. Pink salmon is the second name of this fish. It occupies a special place in fishing. This value is due to the presence of pink salmon in delicate, nutritious and delicious meat.

Appearance

Pink salmon are the smallest of all salmon found in the Pacific Ocean. Average individuals grow up to 64 centimeters in length with a body weight of up to 2 kilograms. Female pink salmon are significantly smaller in size than males. It was not uncommon for fishermen to come across specimens weighing up to 6 kilograms. The literature describes information that fishermen caught pink salmon that weighed almost 7 kilograms and was 76 centimeters in length (details in the photo).

Pink salmon has a slender, torpedo-shaped body with a fairly large head and a large mouth. The upper jaw bone extends beyond the posterior edges of the eyes. The fish has up to 15 gill rays and up to 33 gill rakers, which are very long and thin. The anal fin contains up to 16 branched rays, and there is a distinct notch for the caudal fin. This fish is shown in more detail in the photo.

Pink salmon has small scales. The lateral line contains over 150 scales. Fish has different colors, which may vary depending on life cycle. In the very early age, river fry are silver in color, with light sides and a warm back. Pink salmon fry, unlike pied fry and other representatives of salmon species, do not have a protective coloration.

There are no stripes or spots on the entire body, including the fins. Pink salmon fry have translucent, colorless fins. The presence of dark spots appears in older individuals, when the fish begins to lead a marine life cycle. Pink salmon living in the sea have a typically pelagic coloration, with a silver-steel general background.

At the time when pink salmon is preparing for the spawning period, it “dresses” in its nuptial attire (details in the photo). The body is painted in all sorts of shades, from green-brown to dark purple. Males' body proportions change greatly during this period. A hump grows on the back, the jaws become strongly bent and lengthened, and the teeth become larger. And females practically do not change the proportions of their body during the spawning period.

Distribution and habitats

Pink salmon can be found in the waters Pacific Ocean, in the area of ​​the American and Asian coasts. It enters the territory of our country during the spawning period, is found in the rivers of the Bering Sea and goes south to the Peter the Great Gulf. Less commonly, pink salmon can be found in rivers that are tributaries of the Northern Arctic Ocean. The fish swims to Amguema, Kolyma, Indigirka, Yana and Lena. In America it is found on the coast of Alaska up to the Sacramento River.

In 2001, pink salmon were caught in the Pyasina River, near Pestsovy Island. Along the Amur River the fish rise quite low, but in the Ussuri River they are not found at all. Pink salmon were spotted near Kamchatka, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands and in Japan, near the island of Hokkaido. The northern waters of the Pacific Ocean are especially rich in pink salmon. During feeding, the fish mix with American and Asian stocks.

Diet

During the marine life cycle, pink salmon actively feed, gaining body weight, thereby preparing for migration to spawning grounds. This is due to the fact that during the spawning period this fish stops feeding completely, which leads to a significant loss of weight. The pink salmon menu includes very high-calorie foods. Prefers to eat small fish.

Crustaceans occupy a priority place in the diet. Thanks to this menu, this fish grows and matures very quickly. After just a year and a half of living in sea ​​waters, she returns to the rivers again to sweep the river and subsequent death. The larvae feed primarily on crustaceans and insects.

Reproduction

The spawning period takes place in the summer–autumn period. Pink salmon begin to enter the rivers in July, and spawning ends in September. As a rule, the fish goes to the places where it was born. Priority spawning sites are fast rivers with the presence of pebble-sandy soil.

Pink salmon spawns the largest of them all salmon caviar, which reaches a diameter of up to 6 millimeters. The fertility of pink salmon depends on its size. The average female can lay 1,600 eggs. After 3 months, the eggs begin to hatch into fry, which remain in the rivers until the end of spring. At the end of May - beginning of June, young pink salmon go to the seas.

Pink salmon is the smallest representative of the salmon family. Thanks to its gentle, nourishing and healthy meat, this fish has a very high commercial value. Distributed in northern waters Pacific Ocean. During the spawning period it goes into the rivers.

The most valuable breed fish - salmon, pink salmon is one of the representatives of this species. The fish got its name from the hump that protrudes above the spine, just behind the head. Despite its not very attractive appearance, pink salmon has a second name - pink salmon. But one can argue with this opinion, because pink salmon tends to change its color. And this is not strange, when fish moves from fresh waters to the sea and back, the color tends to change slightly. This type of fish is migrants, first they live in the river, then they move to the sea, and then spawning returns to fresh river. The lifespan of pink salmon is approximately 3 years. The benefits and harms of pink salmon are important.

Properties and composition of pink salmon fish

Like any product that is eaten, pink salmon also has both benefits and harm to the body. Pink salmon is rich in vitamins and minerals; it is famous for its high protein content and virtual absence of fat. An ideal product for those who want to lose weight, isn't it?

In addition to all the beneficial properties inherent in each fish, pink salmon is also distinguished by the presence of rare vitamins PP, phosphorus, sulfur, a huge amount of iodine, chromium, and cobalt. It's hard to imagine what's in this familiar product so many useful microelements. Pink salmon is famous for the presence of unsaturated fats, which are beneficial for the body, especially women. Even canned pink salmon retains its beneficial features.

Calories in pink salmon

The amount of nutrients in pink salmon is off the charts. It doesn’t matter whether it’s stewed, baked, fried or steamed - the satiety and benefits of fish are undeniable. And for those losing weight, this is a real savior, which will satiate you 100% and at the same time there are only 140 calories per 100 grams of fish. But, despite this, the high amount of protein in fish, which is a little more than 60%, allows you to quickly and for a long time get full. You can prepare pink salmon fillet as a dietary option by simply stewing it. Fish takes a long time to digest, so if you eat pink salmon for dinner, you definitely won’t want to eat it before bed. And most importantly, even a large portion of fish will not leave fat on the sides and waist; the main thing, of course, is not to overeat until you lose consciousness. Canned pink salmon is also low in calories.

The benefits and harms of pink salmon

If you take it apart chemical composition pink salmon, we can conclude that it is useful primarily for the health of the skin, mucous membranes of the body, digestive system and CNS. Doctors recommend adding pink salmon dishes to the diet for those who have reduced immunity and general body tone, because this fish contains almost the entire table chemical elements Mendeleev. More precisely, exactly what is needed human body. And if it is obvious for those losing weight, then other important properties should be described in more detail. The antioxidants contained in the composition help control and normalize blood sugar levels. Of course, their content in pink salmon is not so high, but they still exist and perform very important function, in addition to controlling sugar, acids provide rejuvenation, this is a real source of youth. The amazing benefits of pink salmon and the harm that is virtually absent - that’s what makes this fish ideal.

It is necessary to mention phosphorus, which is present in pink salmon as phosphoric acid, and its task is the formation of enzymes that regulate and accelerate chemical reactions in cells. Due to this, metabolism is accelerated, which is very important for the proper functioning of the body. The second phosphorus compound is phosphate salts, which are involved in the construction of skeletal tissue.

Pink salmon is an indispensable product on the menu for those who suffer from thyroid diseases. This is because fish contains a large number of honey It is impossible not to mention that pink salmon is an indispensable product for full-fledged work circulatory system namely the brain. This is all thanks to the fact that the cells are saturated with pyridoxine, which is known to improve metabolism in brain cells. Due to this, performance increases, not only memory, but also mood improves. Pyridoxine helps sugar to be evenly distributed throughout the body, due to which the work nervous system getting better. Therefore, pink salmon is the number one product during sessions, exams and difficult situations. The maximum benefits and harm of pink salmon, which is minimal, attract nutritionists.

Harm and contraindications

You can often hear that pink salmon has absolutely no contraindications, with the exception of individual intolerance. On the one hand, this is true, but on the other hand, doctors still recommend consuming pink salmon with caution for those who have peptic ulcers gastrointestinal tract, chronic liver pathologies. It is not recommended to eat a lot of fish for those who have individual intolerance to phosphorus and iodine. Do not forget that fish can either have a beneficial effect on the body or cause harm. In order for pink salmon to retain the maximum amount of useful elements, you need to learn how to cook it correctly. Which recipes are the most popular?

Homemade salted pink salmon

• First you need to clean the pink salmon from scales and gut it. You should get rid of everything except meat.
• Next you need to treat the fish with salt both inside and outside.
• Don't forget to wrap the pink salmon in a slightly damp cotton napkin. You need to roll the fish very tightly with a napkin so that it is completely wrapped, without any open spaces. After the napkin, you need to wrap the pink salmon in a towel and place it in a bag, which is again wrapped in paper.
• Now, finally, you can put the fish in the refrigerator and say goodbye to it for three weeks.

And after the designated time has passed, you can enjoy the taste of freshly salted pink salmon, which has retained its beneficial properties by almost 100%. Housewives loved this recipe because it can be modified as you please, adding various spices, and experimenting with taste.

Pink salmon in the microwave

As the simplest and quick recipe, which saves housewives in critical situations. After the fish is cut and prepared, you should cut it into pieces, pepper them, salt them and you can begin further cooking:

• Cut the tomato and onion into rings and place on top of each piece of fish.
• You need to put mayonnaise on top and add grated cheese.
• Place the fish in the microwave for 20 minutes and you are ready to serve.

Here's a recipe that doesn't take more than 20 minutes to prepare and will become... a real find for those who never have time.

Wet salting of pink salmon caviar

And if the classic recipe for salting pink salmon is simple and clear, then with pink salmon caviar things are somewhat different. The recipe is also easy to make, but has a slightly different technique. For a standard recipe you will need 250 grams of pink salmon caviar, 250 grams of water, a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. So, how to cook pink salmon caviar at home?

• The caviar needs to be separated from the film, washed and dried, at which time you can put water on the fire.
• When the water boils, salt and sugar should be dissolved in it.
• The brine needs to be strained through a sieve; if you don’t have one, you can use ordinary gauze.
• The brine must cool, and only after that can the caviar be sent into it.
• The caviar should be infused in the brine for two hours, no less.
• It is important not to injure the eggs and drain the brine through a sieve or cheesecloth.

Now the caviar can be transferred into containers and served to guests.

Baked pink salmon

For classic recipe baked pink salmon will need one and a half kilograms of fish, 100 grams of butter, one onion, a tablespoon of lemon juice, a teaspoon of wine vinegar, mayonnaise, spinach, parsley, salt, pepper - everything to taste. The fish is prepared as follows:

• Clean, gut and cut up the pink salmon, rinse it and dry it.
• Make several transverse cuts, which should be a few centimeters apart from each other.
• Cut the onion into rings butter thin strips and push the butter into the slits. If there is something left, you don’t have to throw it away, but put it in the belly, and the onion goes there too.
• Finely chop the greens, add vinegar, mayonnaise, lemon juice and blend with a blender. This will be the sauce that you need to coat the pink salmon with.
• Wrap the fish in foil and place it on a baking sheet, place the pink salmon in the oven, preheated to 200 degrees.

The fish is baked for about half an hour and served whole, decorated with lemon slices.

Salmon fish occupies a special place in the human diet. Its main distinguishing feature is dietary and at the same time very tasty meat, which can be consumed by everyone without exception. It has a relatively low calorie content, however, it is fatty and tender. The meat has a pleasant pink-red color. Fish contains a lot of useful micro-, macroelements and vitamins. In addition, red caviar of the salmon family is considered a delicacy, the price of which is several times less than black caviar. This article will talk about representatives of the salmon family, what environment they live in, what characteristics have.

Habitat of fish of the salmon family

The habitat of these fish is quite wide. Representatives of the salmon family can be found in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as in fresh water bodies of the Northern Hemisphere. The largest natural spawning grounds for these fish species are located in Kamchatka, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

For the most part, this is fishing and valuable fish of the salmon family, its production, as mentioned above, is carried out not only for the sake of tasty meat, but also for the sake of red caviar.

Feature

Fish of the salmon family have one distinctive feature. It lies in the fact that any representative of a given species, even fish northern seas of the salmon family, comes to spawn in freshwater rivers. For example, Pacific individuals mainly spawn in the rivers of the Kamchatka Territory. During this period, the appearance of the fish changes beyond recognition; it becomes different both in color and shape. And the quality of meat at this time is greatly reduced. Therefore, catching fish when they go to spawn is prohibited.

Almost all salmon have a body that is flattened laterally. In addition, the salmon family is distinguished from other fish species by the presence of a lateral line.

Species of fish belonging to the salmon family

Among the fish of this species there are both freshwater and anadromous ones. In accordance with this classification, subspecies are divided. What fish of the salmon family exist?

1. Northern salmon or salmon.
2. Belorybitsa.
3. Nelma.
4. Pink salmon.
5. Coho salmon.
6. Chum salmon.
7. Chinook salmon.
8. Red salmon.
9. Trout.

Brief description of salmon fish. Salmon

Let's take a closer look at what some fish of the salmon family are. The list opens with northern salmon (noble salmon) or salmon. This one is large and beautiful view fish lives in the White Sea basin. The meat of this representative of salmon is very tasty and tender, reddish in color. It is rich in various useful substances and vitamins. Salmon is distinguished by its large size, its length is up to 1.5 meters and its weight is 40 kg. In terms of cost, salmon meat is more expensive than all other representatives of the salmon family.

The body of the salmon is covered with small silvery scales; spots on the lower lateral line are completely absent. This fish of the salmon family feeds in the sea on crustaceans and small fish. When she goes to spawn, she stops feeding and therefore loses a lot of weight. By the mating season, the appearance of salmon changes greatly: the body of the fish darkens, orange-red spots appear on the sides and head. In males, the jaws also change; a hook-shaped protrusion is formed in their upper part, which fits into the recess of the lower jaw.

Salmon spawns in the fall, and in some areas in the winter. The water temperature in the spawning grounds does not exceed 6 degrees Celsius, so the development of eggs occurs very slowly. Only in May do the young begin to hatch from the eggs and then for a long time lives in fresh water. Juveniles do not at all resemble their adult relatives - they are mobile and colorfully colored fish. After 5 years, they approach the mouths of rivers and, having reached a size of 9-18 cm, go out to sea. At this time, their body is covered with silvery scales.

Belorybitsa

The whitefish lives in the Caspian Sea. Like many representatives salmon species, whitefish has winter and spring forms. This northern fish The salmon family, like almost all salmon, is a predator. In the sea it feeds on small species: herring, gobies, as well as crustaceans and insects. During the spawning period in rivers, he eats practically nothing and therefore loses a lot of weight; the fat content in meat during this period does not exceed 2%.

She is one of the most valuable species fish Its meat has a very low calorie content. The white fish chooses the Volga River and its tributaries as its spawning site. Reaches a length of more than a meter, weighs from 3 to 14 kg, and average weight females - 8.6 kg, males - 6 kg. The whitefish becomes sexually mature at 6-7 years of age.

Nelma

Nelma is a close relative of the previous species. Habitat - basins of the Ob and Irtysh rivers. It weighs from 3 to 12 kg (there are also larger individuals, weighing up to 30 kg) and length up to 130 cm. Nelma represents the family salmon fish, the photo in the article shows what it looks like. She has large silvery scales and small caviar. This is a relatively slow growing fish. It reaches sexual maturity at the age of 8 to 18 years, depending on its habitat. The mating outfit during the spawning period does not differ much from the usual one. The mouth of this fish representative is quite large, like a salmon. And nelma is distinguished from both salmon and whitefish. In terms of taste, nelma meat is slightly inferior to white fish meat.

Whitefish

A fairly large subgroup consists of whitefish fish of the salmon family, the list of these species is as follows:

1. Omul.
2. Tugun.
3. Siberian vendace (Ob herring).

The body of whitefish is laterally compressed, and the shape of the jaws depends on nutrition. In nature there are both small representatives of this species (vendice weighs about 400 g) and large individuals (for example, omul weighing more than 3 kg). Interesting fact: after spawning, the omul returns back to its usual habitat - to the lower reaches of the rivers. The meat of whitefish fish is white and tender. Its taste largely depends on the place of catch. The harsher the environment, the tastier the meat.

Far Eastern and Pacific salmon

If we consider the Far Eastern and Pacific representatives of the fish fauna, we can say that the salmon family includes: pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, and coho salmon. The latter is the lowest fat fish - 6%. Because of its appearance, coho salmon are often called silver salmon (in the old days - white fish). It can reach a weight of 14 kg, its length is more than 80 cm. But mostly medium-sized individuals, weighing 7-8 kg, go on sale. Coho salmon spawn later than all salmon - from September to March, sometimes under the ice. During spawning, female and male coho salmon turn a dark crimson color. It lives relatively little in the sea and becomes sexually mature already at 2-3 years. This is the most heat-loving representative of the Pacific salmon. IN Lately Coho salmon numbers have dropped sharply.

Pink salmon is a fish that is caught for commercial purposes in Far East It ranked first. Its meat has a fat content of about 7.5%. But pink salmon is also the smallest fish of this family, its weight rarely exceeds 2 kg. The length of the individual is about 70 cm. Its body is covered with small scales. In the sea it is painted silver, the tail is covered with small dark spots. In rivers, the color of pink salmon changes: dark spots cover the head and sides. During the spawning period, males grow a hump, their jaws lengthen and curve. Beautiful fish during this period it becomes simply ugly.

Chinook by appearance resembles a large salmon. Is the most valuable and big fish from Far Eastern species salmon. The average size Chinook reaches 90 cm. The back, caudal and dorsal fin are covered with small black spots. In the seas this type fish can live from 4 to 7 years. This is a cold-loving representative of the salmon family. All Pacific salmon spawn once in their lives and then die soon after.

Chum salmon

Chum salmon is also a low-fat fish. Despite this, the fat content in the meat is higher than that of pink salmon. It is larger, more common and mass appearance family of Far Eastern salmon fish. It can reach a length of more than 1 meter. Chum salmon are well known for their large, bright orange caviar.

The marine outfit in which the fish of the salmon family is dressed is painted silver and has no stripes or spots. In rivers, the fish changes its color to brownish-yellow with dark crimson stripes. During spawning, the body of chum salmon becomes completely black. The size of the teeth, especially in males, increases. And the meat becomes not at all fatty, whitish and flabby. The fish matures for spawning at 3-5 years of age. Enters Siberian rivers to spawn:

1. Kolyma.
2. Lena.
3. Yanu et al.

Red salmon

Let's consider another genus of Far Eastern representatives, this is a fish of the salmon family - sockeye salmon. It is interesting because the individual caught in the sea is red. Sometimes it is called that - red fish. Its meat has excellent taste. And during spawning it turns white. The size of this representative of the salmon family does not exceed 80 cm, weight on average is from 2 to 4 kg. Sockeye salmon is not as common in our country as pink salmon and chum salmon. It only enters the rivers of Kamchatka, Anadyr, and the rivers of the Kuril Islands.

Red fish are a cold-loving species of salmon. You will not find it in the sea, where the temperature exceeds 2 degrees Celsius. Sockeye salmon caviar is quite small - 4.7 mm, intensely red. The mating costume of sockeye salmon is very impressive: the back and sides are bright red, the head is green, and the fins are blood red. Spawns in lakes and in places where groundwater comes out. Red fish most often become sexually mature at 5-6 years of age. In the sea, it feeds mainly on crustacean fauna.

Trout

This fish of the salmon family is found in Lakes Onega, Lake Ladoga and other reservoirs of Karelia and Kola Peninsula, it can also be seen in the basins of the Baltic and White Seas. Trout comes in several varieties:

1. Scottish.
2. Alpine.
3. European.
4. American.
5. River.
6. Ozernaya.
7. Rainbow.

Freshwater fish of the salmon family prefer cold waters with clean and clear water. Lake trout are diverse in color and lifestyle. Representatives of this species of salmon have long been objects of artificial breeding both for hunting and for food. Brook trout is often called pied trout because of its bright color; lake trout has a second name - brown trout.

The pestle grows to a size of 25 cm and weighs up to 500 g. It prefers fast and cold rivers. Spawns in autumn or winter. Lake trout are golden in color with numerous black spots. This species of salmon is much larger than river trout. They reach a length of up to 50 cm and weigh up to 1.5 kg (although some individuals grow up to 8 kg in weight). Lake trout spawns from September to January, depending on the reservoir, either on rivers with a pebble bottom, or in lakes, in places where springs flow. Trout feeds on small fish, insects and larvae, and invertebrate animals. Trout meat is darker in appearance, but just as tasty and tender as that of other salmonids, and in addition, it is also healthy.

Valuable and tasty meat and red caviar have made the salmon family a popular commercial species. Illegal fishing of this fish is reaching large scales. As a result, many species of salmon are listed in the Red Book and are under state protection.

River pink salmon is an anadromous fish. This means that it spends part of its life in sea water, and spawns in rivers. In the photo, the river pink salmon is noticeably different from other fish...

It's interesting that with the onset mating season pink salmon undergoes a significant transformation. Males are most visibly transformed.

The fish changes color to greenish-brown with dark stripes and spots. The body flattens laterally and a hump appears (hence the name of the species). The jaws bend to form either a hooked nose or a beak. Strong crooked teeth become noticeable (due to this river pink salmon called catfish). The meat of spawning fish turns white.

Signs

When pink salmon are still at sea, their color is silver with a darker back and a clearly visible lateral line. Dark spots are visible on the fins: large ones on the caudal fin, small ones on the dorsal fin. The body is “clad” with small, thick scales. Females are smaller in size than males.

Spreading

During the marine period of its life cycle, pink salmon live in the North Pacific Ocean. Off the coast of Asia, the habitat of pink salmon stretches from Chukotka to the Korean Peninsula and the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu. Along the coast North America– from the Bering Strait to California. You can find pink salmon in the Arctic Ocean - right up to the mouth of the Lena River off the coast of Asia, and to the Colville River off the coast of the North American continent.

Pink salmon is valuable commercial fish, providing a high catch. The waters washing the southern regions are especially rich in pink salmon. Kurile Islands, East Coast Kamchatka, British Columbia.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk also produces a rich catch of pink salmon, Northern part Sea of ​​Japan and the southeastern Gulf of Alaska.

And, although the pink salmon catch fluctuates from year to year, the share of this species in the total salmon fishery is one of the most significant.

Biology

Compared to representatives of other species of the Salmon family, pink salmon is a medium-sized fish. The fixed maximum size is 68 cm (with a weight of 3 kg). Pink salmon grows and matures quickly. By the second year of life, the fish is ready to reproduce. Submitting to the instinct of their native river (homing), pink salmon delve deeper into the riverbeds large rivers or in the lower reaches of their tributaries, reaches silt-free places with a bottom covered with pebbles or gravel along the rifts, and lays eggs.

The breeding season lasts from August to mid-October. Larvae emerge from eggs (d=6 mm) at the end of April. They still have a way to go downstream - to the ocean. Without swimming far into sea waters, the juveniles feed in shallow water for about a month, consuming small crustaceans.

Compared to other salmonids, it boasts a very large population of its Pacific population.

The larger the annual population size, the smaller fish(by 2.5-5.7 cm). This, however, does not apply to pink salmon living in British Columbia and Northern Primorye.

Pink salmon from 32 to 64 cm in length begin to reproduce. But, on average, the size of spawning individuals falls within the range of 38-59 cm (with a weight of one and a half to two kilograms).

This type of fish is also interesting because all the larvae that are born are females. Sexual differentiation of individuals does not occur immediately.

One of the curious features of this species is that pink salmon does not have clearly defined subspecies. They cannot form due to a number of reasons. Firstly, individuals of different populations are not isolated from each other - they have the opportunity to interbreed with each other due to weak homing in this species. Secondly, this fish at all periods of its life cycle has good resistance to the influence of factors external environment. And thirdly, the isolation of subspecies by acquiring new features and characteristics is prevented by the uniformity of living conditions throughout the entire extent of the species’ distribution.

Generations of pink salmon are genetically quite isolated from each other (they do not overlap during reproduction), since these fish mature quickly (once they reach 1.5-2 years they are ready to reproduce) and die after the first spawning.

Spawning

When entering the river at the beginning of spawning, males outnumber females. But the closer to the end of the long journey to the spawning ground, the more females become. If we consider the average numbers, then parity is maintained between the sexes.

The journey to the spawning grounds takes 1-1.5 months. This is a grueling and exhausting road, during which the fish does not feed and undergoes a number of external and internal transformations. The conditions in the spawning areas of all pink salmon populations are approximately the same: pebble-sandy soil, water temperature - 4-16 ° C, current speed at a depth of about one meter - 0.2-1 m/s, degree of water saturation with oxygen - at least 40% from full.

The female lays 800-2400 large eggs in a specially prepared hole, in three separate nests. After the male fertilizes the eggs with milk, the female fills the hole with soil, forming a so-called spawning mound (with an area of ​​one and a half to two square meters). After 130 days, pink salmon larvae appear from the fertilized eggs (40-60% of all eggs spawned). They stay under the pebbles for about a hundred days, then emerge from under the spawning mound and go to the sea. The ramp lasts several months: from late April to early July. Having reached the place where the river flows into the sea, the juveniles remain here for some time - in the waters just before the mouth of the river. Then it moves on.

After feeding in shallow waters in coastal bays and bays, young pink salmon move to the open sea in October-November.

Since pink salmon have relatively weak homing, they may spawn in a river other than the one in which they were born. Moreover, the mouths of some rivers sometimes become impassable due to storm sediments, and pink salmon are not able to enter there for 1-2 years.

Herds

Due to the weakness of the instinct to return to their native river, pink salmon can use another river for spawning, not the one in which they were born. That is, the group of these fish is united not by one native river, but by several rivers in which the spawning of these individuals may take place.

A group of fish united by a common complex of such rivers is called a herd. There are a large number of such herds of pink salmon. These are the Primorye, Amur, West Sakhalin (Sea of ​​Japan), East Sakhalin, South Sakhalin, North Okhotsk, West Kamchatka, West Bering Sea, South Kuril, Hokkaido, and American herds.

Maritime period

Stocks of pink salmon of Asian origin are found in the western (Kuril-Kamchatka) and central (Aleutian) regions where these fish are concentrated. The eastern region (off the coast of North America) is home to herds of American origin. A separate herd of pink salmon swims in the Sea of ​​Japan.

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Fishing is always great, especially if the exciting process ends with a long-awaited catch. Going for valuable trophies, both professional fishermen and amateurs dream of catching one of the most common representatives of the salmon family - pink salmon. What does pink salmon fish look like, how do the seasons affect it, when does pink salmon spawn, and what kind of gear should be used to return with the desired prey?

Of the entire huge family, it is the fish of this species that is the smallest representative in size - it rarely grows more than 40 cm. The weight is also not impressive - it does not exceed 2-5 kg, but there is information that a successful fisherman caught a trophy specimen weighing 12 kg. You can meet the sea beauty not only in salt waters - not so long ago it was released into freshwater lakes, where it successfully took root.

The color changes depending on the location: while the fish is in the cold waters of the ocean, it has gray shade with a blue tint. , which usually occurs in nearby rivers, becomes lighter. The belly color is white, but when pink salmon migrate to fresh waters, becomes yellowish. The scales are very small and can be easily removed.

The fins are short, and there is also a “fatty” fin, which is rare for this species of fish. The head is slightly elongated, ending in a wide mouth. The description can be completed hallmark, which gave rise to the name. Pink salmon received it thanks to males - they, unlike females, have a large hump on their backs. Interestingly, the hump begins to grow only after being sent to spawn, in fresh river waters.

The characteristics of the predator are similar, but there are a few differences. The comparison is often made to pink salmon, another popular and numerous member of the family. What is the difference between chum salmon and pink salmon? Main differences:

• size (chum salmon is larger);
• coloring;
• caviar size (in pink salmon it is smaller);
• habits of the fry (chum salmon babies immediately go to the ocean after birth, while pink salmon’s young remain in river reservoirs until they grow up);
• both chum salmon and pink salmon have beneficial properties, but differ in taste (pink salmon meat is tougher, with big amount calories).

Another distinguishing feature is that due to the prevalence of the fish, its cost is much lower than other varieties, despite the fact that pink salmon and salmon are the same family.

Where does it live, the main diet of fish

Pink salmon is an inhabitant of the depths of the Pacific or Arctic Ocean. The family goes to the rivers to spawn. Both in fresh reservoirs and in salt waters, it tries to stay near the surface, avoiding great depths and holes.

Photo 1. Pink salmon go to rivers to spawn.

Interesting! Pink salmon no longer return to the depths of the sea, because after spawning they stop feeding. Having laid eggs, the fish dies - it’s time for spawning the last stage short life.

The diet of the valuable family consists of fry, young small fish, crustaceans. Since fish grow quickly, they need a lot of food, so pink salmon go hunting at any time of the day. Thanks to this feature, even a novice fisherman can successfully catch a predator.

Peculiarities of predator behavior in different seasons of the year

Photo 2. In wedding attire.

Pink salmon is a fish that conducts most life in migration. In winter and autumn it prefers to stay in sea waters. At the age of two years, it goes to spawn, which occurs in the month of August (in Russia, the time of spawning may vary - in Kamchatka it begins in July, in Sakhalin - in June). During a long journey, females and males lose caution, feed heavily, and become easy prey for fishermen and animals eagerly awaiting a school of fish at the mouths of rivers.

Interesting! Until now, even scientists cannot find an explanation for the fact that pink salmon return to spawn in the river where they were born. There are many hypotheses - the predator senses a familiar smell, the bottom (its features), the consistency or composition of the water.

Having reached their goal, the fish prepare to lay eggs. The female digs a small hole with her fins, after fertilization lays eggs in it, and then, together with the male, covers the nest with sand and stones.

It takes about three months for the fry to appear, but young fish are in no hurry to go to salty bodies of water. Only with the arrival of spring (by this period pink salmon grow up to 3 cm) do the fry migrate in large schools to the sea. The path is long and difficult - most of the river and sea ​​creatures hunt young fish. Until next year, pink salmon feed heavily, after which they return along the already familiar path to breed and die.

Catching pink salmon: when to go hunting for a valuable predator, and what gear is best to use

You can catch pink salmon in the river only before spawning (it is found there from spring to mid-summer), and it is easy to catch both with spinning and fishing rods. The bait is usually red caviar, rolled into a tight rope. The type of spinners used to catch a predator is preferably a bright one. reacts poorly, preferring to swim past.

Important! You can simply make the bait more attractive to pink salmon - just attach it to a spoon:

• bright feathers;
• threads;
• strips of multi-colored plastic.

The preferred color that representatives of the salmon family actively go for is bright blue, purple, and orange.

The peculiarity of the bite of males is that the bite is fast, sometimes almost not felt. After hooking, there are few jerks - often only 1-2. Pink salmon may jump out of the water several times, but this rarely happens. It is much more difficult to catch a female; once hooked, she begins to rush around wildly, often breaking down.

During spawning, it is impossible to catch a predator with a fishing rod or spinning rod - the fish completely stops feeding and does not respond to bait. You can use nets or a tee (the so-called cat), but this type of fishing is prohibited by law and is punishable as poaching.

Photo 3. Fly fishing is a catchy method for pink salmon.

Pink salmon caught before spawning is of great value - the meat is elastic and has excellent taste qualities. After spawning, the fish becomes loose and tough; it can only be used in cooking as minced meat. It is rarely caught at this time.

Catching pink salmon is an entertaining process, and with the onset of summer, hundreds of professionals and amateurs go hunting for valuable prey. It doesn’t matter whether luck smiled, because the most important thing in fishing is to relax your soul and body, enjoying every minute.