| Sockeye salmon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Sockeye salmon in spawning colors | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Salmoniformes |
| Family: | Salmonidae |
| Genus: | Oncorhynchus |
| Species: | O. nerka
|
| Binomial name | |
| Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum, 1792)
| |
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). Juveniles remain in freshwater until they are ready to migrate to the ocean, over distances of up to 1,600 km (1,000 mi). Their diet consists primarily of zooplankton. Sockeye salmon are semelparous, dying after they spawn. Some populations, referred to as kokanee, do not migrate to the ocean and live their entire lives in fresh water.
- ^ Rand, P.S. (2011). "Oncorhynchus nerka". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T135301A4071001. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T135301A4071001.en. Retrieved November 13, 2021.