Sockeye Red Salmon
Oncorhynchus nerka
🧦👁
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Salmoniformes
Salmonoidei
Salmonidae
Oncorhynchus
Oncorhynchus nerka
From Greek onco- (‘hook’) + rhynchos (‘snout’), describing the spawning male’s hooked jaw. Nerka is derived from a Russian word of Itelmen origin meaning ‘red salmon.’ Combined, Oncorhynchus nerka translates roughly to ‘hook-nosed red salmon.’
Brilliant red and lake-bound, the Sockeye Salmon transforms freshwater ecosystems with its migrations and post-spawning die-offs.
Description
Sockeye are famous for their vivid crimson coloration during spawning. Some populations are landlocked (“kokanee”).
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
8
0.1
0.1
0.84
kg
m
m
m
Planktivore
Hunt History
Ancient lakeshore camps in Alaska and British Columbia processed Sockeye with specialized drying racks.
Examples:
Kvichak River, Alaska (~4,500 BP) – fish processing pits.
Babine Lake, British Columbia (~2,500 BP) – smoking racks.
Fraser Basin (~1,000 BP) – kokanee remains in pit houses.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Extant
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
0
BP
Late Miocene to Recent
Northern Pacific
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
12
Est. Renderable Fat
2
kg
Targeted Organs
Muscle and belly tissue
Adipose Depots
Intramuscular and visceral
Preferred Cuts
Fillets, smoked sides
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
2