FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
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Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) belongs to the family of Salmon. These fish are anadromous, meaning their lives have a distinct divide between time in the freshwater as well as the oceans. It's a Pacific salmon that's also known as Keta Salmon or Dog Salmon, and it's sometimes sold by the name of Silverbrite Salmon. The exact name Chum Salmon comes from the Chinook Jargon language in which the term 'tzum' means spotted or marked, whereas 'keta' is derived from the Evenki language, said to be a dialect of Russian sometimes, of Eastern Siberia. Chum Salmon are one of eight species of Pacific salmonids in the genus Oncorhynchus, and they belong to the family Salmonidae. Chum Salmon are Pacific salmon populations that grow to be among the largest, second only to chinook coho salmon in adult size, with individuals weighing up to 42 lb (19 kg).
Chum Salmon breeds nearly entirely in coastal streams. Since emerging from the gravel that coats their red (nests), juveniles migrate to seawater almost immediately (spawning bed). This ocean-type migratory behavior compares with coastal cutthroat trout, steelhead, coho salmon, and other forms of chinook and sockeye salmon populations, which typically migrate to the sea at a grander scale following months or years of freshwater rearing. This means that juvenile Chum Salmon survival and development are more dependent on favorable estuarine and marine conditions than on freshwater conditions. Another distinction between the species Chum Salmon and other freshwater Salmon is that they form schools, presumably to minimize predation, particularly if their movements are coordinated with swamp predators. Several older fishes tend to follow a latitudinal pattern, with older fish being generally found in the northern part of the range. Many studies have looked into the age at which Chum Salmon mature, and it appears that most mature between three and five years of age in both Asia and North America, with 60-90 percent of the fish maturing at four years of age. However, the north has a higher proportion of five-year-old fishes. In contrast, the south, which includes locations such as British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, has a higher proportion of three-year-old fishes.
If we answered your question of 'What is a Chum Salmon?', do not forget to go through our other articles on the Codfish or the Milkfish.
The Chum Salmon is a type of fish.
The populations of Pacific Salmon include several species; Chum Salmon is one among them. They belong to the class Actinopterygii.
An appropriate study regarding their population has not yet been conducted.
The Chum Salmon has the most incredible natural distribution of all Pacific salmon species, and they travel the furthest within the genus Oncorhynchus. They are known to travel far into Asia's Amur River basin, all the way up the Yukon River. The species even extends up to the far southern tip of the ocean. The most famous salmon species in Yukon is the Chum Salmon. From late summer to early winter, they spawn in the main tributaries of the Yukon River, including the White, Stewart, Pelly, Porcupine, and Teslin rivers. They migrate far south in thousands of kilometers up the Mackenzie River in smaller numbers. Chum can be found in the open ocean of Japan, Korea, and the Bering and Okhotsk seas, and British Columbia in Canada. They can be found in small numbers near the Arctic Ocean, from the Beaufort Sea to the Laptev Sea. The Chum Salmon breed was also found in the river of San Lorenzo close to Santa Cruz, California, in 1915 and the Sacramento River near north California in 1950-1960. Half a dozen of the Chum Salmon were said to be counted in Lagunitas Creek, around 25 mi (40 km) towards the north of San Francisco, CA, in 2017.
The breeding pair enter freshwater, and thus the Chum Salmon or the Calico Salmon are born in freshwater streams and rivers and then migrate to the ocean to eat and develop. They typically build their nests in the lower reaches of rivers and streams that are within 60 miles of the sea.
The Chum Salmon shows attributes of both living in groups and being alone.
Chum Salmon live for three to five years on average, and they mature at the age of five years.
The chum Salmon reproduces between the ages of two and seven, it spawns at an average age of four. They're around five to ten pounds at this stage. Owing to the fact that they spawn later than other fishes, they have been named autumn or fall salmon. They begin joining open rivers and enter fresh water in late June, and hit their spawning grounds in November or December. In the same river, there are occasionally summer and fall flows. Summer runs have fewer fish, and they cannot swim as far upstream as their winter counterparts. Even so, some races have been known to reach 2,000 miles. Pink and Chum Salmon breed in similar locations and usually prefers shallow open streams and intertidal areas. They also tend to spawn in shallow medium-sized gravel with a medium water supply. In their nests, the female lays typically between 2,400-3,100 eggs (redds). Immediately after they lay their eggs, all the female Chum Salmons die.
Males turn olive green or grey during the spawning season, and their sides become red with longitudinal green or purple streaks, earning them the nickname 'calico salmon'. It grows the hooked snout that all Pacific salmon have. Males grow large teeth during the spawning process. Females in the spawning period have a black line along the lateral sides and are similar to males in appearance. Juvenile Chum Salmon has between sex and 14 parr marks and is slim.
The Endangered Species Act has designated two populations of Chum Salmon as vulnerable species, the Hood Canal Summer Run is one of them, and the Lower Columbia River is the other category. These are vulnerable because of the fishing and fishery business.
Chum Salmons, even though they are also called Dog Salmon, are not cute like dogs. They may only be considered to be tasty.
Not much is known about their communication. The anecdotal shreds of evidence suggest sound, color, bioluminescence, motion, electrical impulses, and smell to be the most common ways they do this.
Chum Salmon is one of the largest open Pacific salmon species, only second in size to Chinook salmon. They grow up to 3.6 ft (1.1 m) which is as big as a human child.
The pacific salmon species travel horizontally at speeds ranging from 1.5-3 kilometers per hour.
The average adult Chum Salmon weighs between 9.7-22 lb (4.4-10 kg).
No name as such has been given to the males and females of this species.
Fingerlings are the name given to a juvenile Chum Salmon.
When they swim downriver, young Chum Salmon feed on fish, as well as insects and aquatic invertebrates in estuaries and near-shore marine environments. Copepods, fishes, mollusks, squid, and tunicates are among the foods consumed by adults. Juvenile Chum Salmon are in turn preyed upon by a variety of fish and birds.
Chum Salmon, as a species, pose no threat to humans.
Chum Salmons are not known to be kept as pet fishes. You may find them in certain aquariums, but mostly to be displayed as part of a restaurant's menu.
Wild Chum Salmon are semelparous, ensuring they only reproduce once before dying.
On the spawning runs to their natal pools, the males of this salmon population are better known for their large canine spawning teeth.
They are only somewhat smaller than their Pacific salmon counterparts, chinook salmon.
Are you wondering, "Is Chum Salmon good to eat?" Well... well, we've got you covered! Like most dishes, if cooked well, the Chum Salmon is one of the tastiest fish out there, proving why they are so popular.
The best method to cook Chum Salmon is baking or cooking in olive oil, but the taste is subjective and might differ from individual to individual.
Want to know the differnce between the Chum Salmon vs. pink Salmon? These two fishes differ in fat percentage and taste. People prefer one over the other. Pink Salmons are smaller than Chum Salmon.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish, including sucker fish or longhorn cowfish.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Chum salmon coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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