Salmonidae

kokanee

Oncorhynchus nerka

Turning red during spawning migration

• Red
• Temperate
• Northern Hemisphere
• Regional distribution
• Pacific Ocean
• East Asia
• North America
• Fusiform
• Compressed cross-section
• Large
• Temperate fish

The sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), also called red salmon, kokanee salmon, blueback salmon, or simply sockeye, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it. This species is a Pacific salmon that is primarily red in hue during spawning. They can grow up to 84 cm (2 ft 9 in) in length and weigh 2.3 to 7 kg (5–15 lb).