Alaska
>> Species >> Keta
Salmon
Wild Keta Salmon
Chum (Keta) Salmon
Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus
Keta
Market Names: Chum, Keta, Silverbrite
Vernacular Names: Dog Salmon,
Calico Salmon, Chub, Keta Salmon
Description: Keta Salmon have
greenish-blue backs with silver splashes in the tail. It looks
very similar to a Sockeye when ocean fresh. Keta range from
6-17 pounds and are mature at 3-6 years old. The Keta
salmon has very light colored flesh and is very mild
in flavor.
Life Cycle: There are several
stages to the life cycle of an Alaska Salmon, eggs- alevins-fry-smolt-adult-spawning
adult. An adult salmon deposits her eggs in gravel beds (also
called redds) in freshwater streams and rivers. Once the eggs
have been fertilized by the male salmon the embryos will incubate
over the winter months and then hatch into alevins in late winter.
In the alevins phase of life the salmon take on a strange appearance
having large eyes, a ballooning orange sack and pencil like
body. Approximately 4 months after becoming an alevin the young
salmon changes into a fry. A salmon fry averages 1 inch in length,
has an elongated body and is free swimming. A newly emerged
chum smolt migrates immediately to the ocean unlike the King
salmon, Coho and the Sockeye who spend 1-2 years in fresh water.
A fry blossoms into a smolt when it is ready to head to the
ocean were it will stay for 3-5 years before maturing into an
adult salmon. The mature female and male salmon will begin its
journey back to its place of origin were the female will deposit
her bounty of eggs and the male will fertilize the eggs and
then both will die, continuing the salmon life cycle.
Keta Salmon gets the name “dog salmon”
partially due to its many sharp and large teeth and because
of the hook nose of the male salmon.
Run Times: Chum salmon runs are
typically seen in south central Alaska starting in mid June
and running through mid September.
Record weight sport caught chum salmon:
32 lbs. caught by Fredrick Thynes in 1985 while fishing near
Caamano Point.
Nutritional Information: One
½ lb. fillet of Keta Salmon has 237.6 calories, 39.8
grams of protein, 7.4 grams of fat, 1.6 grams of saturated fat
and 99 milligrams of sodium.
Seafood Nutrition
Table
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specie.
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