Breeding colors
Sockeye male nuptial coloration
Nuptial coloration suggests that this mature male Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) is ready to spawn.
25Mile CreekActinopterygiiAlaskaChordataClass ActinopterygiiCopper River DeltaInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataRedRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSockeye SalmonSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebreeding colorschordatemalenuptial colorationunderwater
Coastal Cutthroat Trout
Searun Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) males in nuptial coloration.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaChordataClass ActinopterygiiCoastal Cutthroat TroutCordovaEccles CreekInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus clarkiiOncorhynchus clarkii clarkiiPacific troutPhylum ChordataPrince William SoundSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSouth Central AlaskaSpringSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatein situmalenaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowild
Male Coho Salmon face-off
Breeding color variation of male Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) facing off with a lateral display.
ActinopterygiiAlaska wild salmonAutumnChordataClass ActinopterygiiCoho SalmonDolly VardenDolly Varden CharDolly Varden CharrDolly Varden Charr southern formInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus kisutchPacific salmonPhylum ChordataSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSalvelinus malmaSalvelinus malma lordiSeacam underwater housingSilver SalmonSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostTeleosteiVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatefish behaviorin situlateral displaymale aggressionmale behaviornaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Coho Salmon male nuptial coloration
Coho Salmon (Oncorhyncus kisutch) male nuptial coloration underwater in an Alaska stream during autumn.
Alaska wild salmonAutumnClass ActinopterygiiCoho SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiOncorhynchus kisutchPacific salmonPhylum ChordataSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSilver SalmonSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostVertebratebiospherebreeding colorsin situmalenaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Sockeye Salmon spawning pair
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) spawning pair turning in opposite directiosns reveal differences between male and female head profiles and nuptial coloration.
Alaska wild salmonClass ActinopterygiiInfraclass TeleosteiOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSockeye SalmonSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostVertebratebiospherebreeding colorsin situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Female Chinook Salmon
A Female Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) observes a Chum Salmon (O. keta)
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChinook SalmonChordataChum SalmonClass ActinopterygiiDog SalmonFishInfraclass TeleosteiKing SalmonNeopterygiiOncorhynchus ketaOncorhynchus tshawytschaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatecovering reddfish behaviorin situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationphotographed under waterspawning behaviorunderwaterunderwater photographyunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Chum Salmon spawning pair
Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) spawning pair
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChordataChum SalmonClass ActinopterygiiDog SalmonFishInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus ketaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatecovering reddfish behaviorin situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationphotographed under waterspawning behaviorunderwaterunderwater photographyunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Male Coho Salmon
Male Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).
ActinopterygiiAlaska wild salmonAutumnChordataClass ActinopterygiiCoho SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus kisutchPacific salmonPhylum ChordataSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSilver SalmonSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostTeleosteiVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatein situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Dolly Varden male
A Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) male's lower jaw develops into a kype with maturation.
ActinopterygiiAlaska wild salmonAutumnChordataClass ActinopterygiiCoho SalmonDolly VardenDolly Varden CharDolly Varden CharrDolly Varden Charr southern formInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus kisutchPacific salmonPhylum ChordataSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSalvelinus malmaSalvelinus malma lordiSeacam underwater housingSilver SalmonSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostTeleosteiVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatein situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild charwild charrwild salmonwild trout
Coho Salmon male
A mostly red colored mature Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) male.
ActinopterygiiAlaska wild salmonAutumnChordataClass ActinopterygiiCoho SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus kisutchOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSilver SalmonSockeye SalmonSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostTeleosteiVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatein situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Partially spawned out Sockeye Salmon male
Partially spawned-out Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) male with the lighter colored caudal peduncle variant in full nuptial coloration.
ActinopterygiiChordataClass ActinopterygiiInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSockeye SalmonSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiVertebratebiospherechordatein situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowild
Male Pink Salmon in dappled light
Dappled light illuminates this mature male Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in the low-tide shallows of Eccles Creek, near Cordova, Alaska.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChordataClass ActinopterygiiCordovaEccles CreekHumpback SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus gorbuschaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPink SalmonPrince William SoundSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatein situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowild
Sockeye Salmon spawning pair
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) spawning pair in glacier fed Power Creek near Cordova, Alaska.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChordataClass ActinopterygiiInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPower CreekRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSockeye SalmonSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratealpha malebiospherebreeding colorschordatecourtshipfish behaviorglacial sedimentin situnaturalworldnaturenear Cordovanuptial colorationspawning behaviorspawning pairturbidunderwaterunderwaterphotowild
Dolly Varden and Chinook Salmon female
Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) shadowing a Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) female. Aspect Ratio = 16:9.
ActinopterygiiAlaska wild salmonChinook SalmonChordataClass ActinopterygiiDolly VardenDolly Varden CharDolly Varden CharrDolly Varden Charr southern formInfraclass TeleosteiKing SalmonNeopterygiiOncorhynchus tshawytschaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSalvelinus malmaSalvelinus malma lordiSeacam underwater housingSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostTeleosteiVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatein situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationphotographed under waterunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild charwild charrwild salmonwild trout
Male Chum Salmon
Mature male Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in breeding coloration.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChordataChum SalmonClass ActinopterygiiDog SalmonFishInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus ketaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatecovering reddfish behaviorin situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationphotographed under waterspawning behaviorunderwaterunderwater photographyunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Red dorsal fin dash
This mature Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) female sports an unusual red dash on her dorsal fin. Underwater view in an Alaskan stream during the summer.
Alaska wild salmonClass ActinopterygiiInfraclass TeleosteiOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSockeye SalmonSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostVertebratebiospherebreeding colorsin situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Spawning colors of Coho Salmon
Spawning colors of Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) reflected in a shallow stream. Aspect ratio = 1:2.
Alaska wild salmonAutumnClass ActinopterygiiCoho SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiOncorhynchus kisutchPacific salmonPhylum ChordataSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSilver SalmonSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostVertebratebiospherebreeding colorsin situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationsalmonography.comunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Breeding color variation
Male Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) breeding color variation.
Alaska wild salmonClass ActinopterygiiInfraclass TeleosteiOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSockeye SalmonSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostVertebratebiospherebreeding colorsin situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Pink Salmon spawning pair
Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) female probes her redd as a male guards. Aspect Ratio = 1:2.
ActinopterygiiAlaska wild salmonChordataClass ActinopterygiiHumpback SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus gorbuschaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPink SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatefish behaviorin situnaturalworldnaturenuptial colorationprobingspawning behaviorunderwaterunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Two male Dolly Varden
Two male Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) males staging in a tributary of Eyak Lake, Alaska. Aspect Ratio = 1:2.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonAutumnChordataClass ActinopterygiiDolly VardenDolly Varden CharDolly Varden CharrDolly Varden Charr southern formInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiPhylum ChordataSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSalvelinus malmaSalvelinus malma lordiSeacam underwater housingSouth Central Alaska 2Subclass NeopterygiiTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherebreeding colorschordatein situnaturalworldnuptial colorationsalmonography.comstagingunderwaterwildwild charwild charrwild salmonwild trout