Coho Salmon

Where it lives

Coho, or silver salmon, inhabit rivers and the North Pacific from northern California to Alaska and across to Kamchatka and Hokkaido. Juveniles rear in small coastal streams for one to two years before smolting; adults spend one to two years at sea.

How to recognise it

Sea-phase coho are bright silver with a metallic-blue back and small black spots restricted to the back and the upper lobe of the tail. The gum line at the base of the teeth is white. Spawning adults turn dusky red on the flanks with a green head; males develop a hooked jaw.

Diet & behavior

At sea, coho feed on herring, anchovies, sand lance, krill, and squid. In freshwater as juveniles, they aggressively defend small territories in stream pools. They spawn in autumn in small coastal streams, often pushing into the smallest tributaries.

Fisheries & Conservation

Globally Least Concern, though several Pacific Northwest populations are listed as Threatened in the United States due to habitat loss and dam-induced stream changes.