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BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
Pink Salmon

 
Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum, 1792)
English Name: Pink Salmon
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Classification Level: Species
Species Group: Vertebrate Animal
Species Code: F-ONGO
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Animalia Craniata Actinopterygii Salmoniformes Salmonidae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G5 (May 2016)
Provincial Status: SNR (Aug 2019)
BC List: Not Reviewed
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada: 4 - Secure (2005)
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description: Almost cylindrical body; rounded snout barely projects beyond upper lip when viewed from below; large horizontal mouth; thick lips (lower lip about twice as thick as upper lip); lower lip with deep notch in middle; 0-3 rows of papillae at middle of lower lip, 2-6 rows of papillae on upper lip; fewer than 75 scales in lateral series; brownish to blackish back becomes gold in breeding male, which also often has a scarlet stripe on each side. Juveniles often have three or more dark blotches on their sides (as do some adults). As adults, pink salmon are the smallest of the Pacific salmon. Total length up to 64 cm.
Global Reproduction Comments: Spawning males defend territories. Spawns usually mid-July to late October (also reported as August-November). Eggs hatch usually from late December-late February, depending on water temperature (Scott and Crossman 1973). Fry usually migrate downstream April-May. Adults die soon after spawning. Two-year life cycle (with rare exceptions). In the Dungeness River in Washington, there is a unique upriver and early spawning stock and a typical lower river late-spawning stock (see Nehlsen et al. 1991). See Stearley (1992) for a discussion of the historical ecology and life history evolution of Pacific salmons and trouts (ONCORHYNCHUS).
Global Ecology Comments: Abundance of spawning populations may differ greatly between years. For example, in the Fraser River in British Columbia, the odd-year run includes nearly 20 million adults whereas the even-year run is virtually nonexistent (Beacham et al. 1994). However, this pattern is not evident in all river systems.

Young form schools in estuaries before moving out to sea. Predators of young salmon include: cutthroat and rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, kingfishers, mergansers, etc.
Migration Characteristics:
(Global / Provincial)		 
    Nonmigrant:
    Local Migrant:
    Distant Migrant:
    Within Borders Migrant: 		Y /
Y /
Y /
na /
Global Migration Comments: Anadromous. Prior to spawning most adults return to the river, or tributary, in which they hatched (there is some possibly contradictory evidience from Russia). Adults move into fresh water June-September, depending on latitude. Freshwater migrations generally are less extensive than are those of other Pacific salmon (Heard 1991).
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence)
Global Habitat Comments: Adults spend most of their lives (about 18 months) at sea. Spawning occurs in rivers and tributary streams, in lower tidal areas in some rivers. After juveniles emerge from gravel (in April-May), they immediately move downstream to estuary. Young fish may be found in inshore waters for several months before they move to sea (Scott and Crossman 1973). Introduced population in Great Lakes is unique in completing life cycle entirely in fresh water.

Spawns in gravel of rivers and tributary streams, generally in tidal portion or lower reaches of natal stream (generally within a few kilometers of the sea). Spawning female excavates several redds, or nests, that each may be 3 ft long and 1.5 ft deep in about 1-2 ft of water (Scott and Crossman 1973). Female covers redd after egg deposition.
Food Habits: Invertivore: Adult, Immature
Piscivore: Adult, Immature
Global Food Habits Comments: Migratory fry usually do not feed, but if they are traveling long distances they eat aquatic insect larvae. Juveniles schooling in estuaries feed on zooplankton. At sea, juveniles eats small crustaceans and other invertebrates. Adult diet includes mainly fishes, squid, euphausiids, amphipods, and copepods (Moyle et al. 1989).
Global Phenology:
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Colonial Breeder: N
Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): 61/ /
Elevation (m) (min / max): Global: 
Provincial: 
   
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Global Range Comment: During ocean feeding and maturation, pink salmon range throughout the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea north of about 40 degrees north latitude. Populations originating from different coastal regions of the North Pacific occupy distinct ocean nursery areas. The range shifts southward for winter, northward in warmer months (Heard 1991).

Spawning occurs in most tributary rivers of northeastern Asia (Korea to Siberia) and in North America from California and Oregon (rare in these states) north to the Aleutian Islands and Mackenzie River delta, Arctic and Pacific drainages. Arctic populations do not appear to be self-sustaining but may be expanding and so warrant monitoring. The species has been introduced in the Great Lakes, Newfoundland, and several European areas.

In the southern part of the range, the most significant runs are in streams tributary to Puget Sound. This salmon has been recorded from various streams in northern California, but spawning in California has been rarely observed and only in the lower Russian River. Many recent sightings of adults in California may be represent strays from rivers to the north (Nehlsen et al. 1991).
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author: Hammerson, G.
Last Updated: Jan 21, 2010
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
   
References and Related Literature
Beacham, T. D., C. B. Murray, and L. W. Barner. 1994. Influence of photoperiod on the timing of reproductive maturation in pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and its application to genetic transfers between odd- and even-year spawning populations. Canadian Journal of Zoology 72:826-833.
Heard, W. R. 1991. Life history of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). Pages 120-230 in C. Groot and L. Margolis, editors. Pacific salmon life histories. University of British Columbia Press, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. xv + 564 pp.
Huntington, C., W. Nehlsen, and J. Bowers. 1996. A survey of healthy native stocks of anadromous salmonids in the Pacific Northwest and California. Fisheries 21(3):6-14.
Lee, D. C., and J. Hyman. 1992. The stochastic life-cycle model (SLCM): simulating the population dynamics of anadromous salmonids. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Paper INT-459, Ogden, Utah. 30 pp.
Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
McPhail, J.D. and C.C. Lindsey. 1970. Freshwater fishes of northwestern Canada and Alaska. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 173, Ottawa.
Meffe, G. K. 1992. Techno-arrogance and halfway technologies: salmon hatcheries on the Pacific coast of North America. Conservation Biology 6:350-354.
Morrow, J.E. 1980. The freshwater fishes of Alaska. Alaska Northwest Publishing Company, Anchorage, AK. 248 pp.
Moyle, P. B. 1976a. Inland fishes of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California. 405 pp.
Moyle, P. B., J. E. Williams, and E. D. Wikramanayake. 1989. Fish species of special concern of California. Final report submitted to California Dept. of Fish and Game, Inland Fisheries Division, Rancho Cordova. 222 pp.
Nehlsen, W., J. E. Williams, and J. A. Lichatowich. 1991. Pacific salmon at the crossroads: stocks at risk from California, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. Fisheries 16(2):4-21.
Nielsen, J. L., editor. 1995. Evolution and the aquatic ecosystem: defining unique units in population conservation. American Fisheries Society Symposium 17, Bethesda, Maryland. xii + 435 pp.
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 pp.
Slaney, T. L., K. D. Hyatt, T. G. Northcote, and R. J. Fielden. 1996. Status of anadromous salmon and trout in British Columbia and Yukon. Fisheries 21(10):20-35.
Stearley, R. F. 1992. Historical ecology of Salmoninae, with special reference to Oncorhynchus. Pages 622-658 in R.L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. xxvi + 969 pp.
Thomas, J. W., Ward, J., Raphael, M.G., Anthony, R.G., Forsman, E.D., Gunderson, A.G., Holthausen, R.S., Marcot, B.G., Reeves, G.H., Sedell, J.R. and Solis, D.M. 1993. Viability assessments and management considerations for species associated with late-successional and old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. The report of the Scientific Analysis Team. USDA Forest Service, Spotted Owl EIS Team, Portland Oregon. 530 pp.
Varnavskaya, N. V., and T. D. Beacham. 1992. Biochemical genetic variation in odd-year pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) from Kamchatka. Canadian Journal of Zoology 70:2115-2120.
Waples, R. S. 1990a. Conservation genetics of Pacific salmon. II. Effective population size and the rate of loss of genetic variability. Journal of Heredity 81:267-276.
Waples, R. S. 1990b. Conservation genetics of Pacific salmon. III. Estimating effective population size. Journal of Heredity 81:277-289.
Waples, R. S., and D. J. Teel. 1990. Conservation genetics of Pacific salmon. I. Temporal changes in allele frequency. Conservation Biology 4:144-156.
Williams, J. E., J. A. Lichatowich, and W. Nehlsen. 1992b. Declining salmon and steelhead populations: new endangered species concerns for the West. Endangered Species Update 9(4):1-8.
Wydoski, R. S., and R. R. Whitney. 1979. Inland fishes of Washington. The University of Washington Press, Seattle. 220 pp.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2010. Species Summary: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 13, 2026).