Coho Silver Salmon
Oncorhynchus kisutch
🥈𓆟
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Salmoniformes
Salmonoidei
Salmonidae
Oncorhynchus
Oncorhynchus kisutch
Sleek and acrobatic, the Coho Salmon flashes silver through northern rivers each autumn, a key species in coastal ecosystems.
Description
The Coho’s firm texture and rich flavor made it a cornerstone of both indigenous and modern fisheries. Juveniles spend one winter in freshwater before descending to sea.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
16
0.2
0.2
1.1
kg
m
m
m
Piscivore
Hunt History
Coastal First Nations built seasonal salmon camps timed with Coho runs. Archaeological remains show intensive drying and smoking of Coho for winter storage.
Examples:
Cape Alava, Washington (~3,000 BP) – fish bones in shell middens.
Haida Gwaii (~2,000 BP) – smoking pits and fish traps.
Oregon coast (~1,000 BP) – lithic net sinkers and Coho vertebrae.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Extant
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
0
BP
Late Miocene to Present
North Pacific Coasts Japan to California
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
High
Fat %
15
Est. Renderable Fat
3
kg
Targeted Organs
Muscle and belly fat
Adipose Depots
Subcutaneous, visceral
Preferred Cuts
Fillets, belly
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
3
Historical Entries
January 1, 1868
Travel And Adventure In The Territory Of Alaska by Frederick Whymper
"They had been subsisting for about two months on an exclusive diet of salmon, which fish is abundant in the river."
Page 159 of 418 / 119 in text
The journey had been undertaken in order to leave a notice for the explorers there, but we did not expect to meet any of them, so that on entering their log house we were much surprised to find four of our old friends. They had been subsisting for about two months on an exclusive diet of salmon, which fish is abundant in the river. They had almost given up expecting to see any of the expedition ; we, on the other hand, believed them to be at the Ochotsk Sea. Three of these gentlemen, MacCrea, Harder, and Smith, belonged to this section, but my astonishment was great to find with them Mr. Bush, who had made the entire journey from the Amoor Eiver to the mouth of the Anadyr the preceding winter. His trip of at least 2500 miles, deserves to rank as the most remarkable of the many undertaken by members of our expedition. Nearly the first thing our friends asked was, "Have you brought any grub?” and we soon satisfied them on the point by fetching up a supply of bread, tea, and sait meat from the boat, and spreading an extempore lunch. They had got heartily sick of ‘‘ toujours ” salmon, and in- finitely preferred salt pork !
June 9, 1864
Travel And Adventure In The Territory Of Alaska by Frederick Whymper
The natives were drying fish and clams on strings hanging from the rafters of their dwellings, and were by no means anxious to engage in our service. There were two reasons for this reluctance, which was one of the main drawbacks of our journey. The first was simply that they lived so easily, getting salmon, deer, and beaver meat in abundance, and consequently were indifferent to anything but extremely high pay.
Page 71 of 418
On the 9th June, after a "hyas wa-wa” (big talk) with the Indians, Brown at length succeeded in hiring a canoe, and, putting the larger part of the stuff therein, sent it up the Cowichan River in charge of one white man of our party and several Indians. The larger part of us proceeded by land direct to the village of Somenos, where we found several large lodges, or “ rancheries,” as they are termed in the colony. The natives were drying fish and clams on strings hanging from the rafters of their dwellings, and were by no means anxious to engage in our service. There were two reasons for this reluctance, which was one of the main drawbacks of our journey. The first was simply that they lived so easily, getting salmon, deer, and beaver meat in abundance, and consequently were indifferent to anything but extremely high pay. The second and main reason was fear of surrounding tribes, especially those of the west coast, who were accustomed occasionally to kidnap ‘‘ unprotected males,’’ and carry them off as slaves.