Chum Dog Salmon
Oncorhynchus keta
🐶𓆟
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Salmoniformes
Salmonoidei
Salmonidae
Oncorhynchus
Oncorhynchus keta
Oncorhynchus comes from Greek ónkos (“bend, bend or hump”) + rhúnkhos (“snout”) referencing the kype (hooked jaw) that males develop. keta is Russian (borrowed from the Evenki language) and is the Russian name for the species, which was adopted into the binomial.
The wide-ranging Chum Salmon sustains northern peoples with abundant runs, its roe once more prized than flesh.
Description
Chum are among the most widely distributed Pacific salmon, with striking spawning colors and canine-like teeth.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
16
0.1
0.1
1
kg
m
m
m
Piscivore
Hunt History
Indigenous Siberians and Alaskans harvested Chum for drying and for roe extraction.
Examples:
Anadyr River, Russia (~3,000 BP) – Chum bones near hearths.
Norton Sound, Alaska (~2,000 BP) – net weights and fish remains.
Hokkaido, Japan (~1,000 BP) – salmon pits in Ainu sites.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Extant
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
0
BP
Late Miocene to Recent
Circumpacific Korea to Alaska
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
10
Est. Renderable Fat
2
kg
Targeted Organs
Roe and Muscle
Adipose Depots
Subcutaneous and visceral
Preferred Cuts
Roe, fillets
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
2