Covering the redd

The female covers her redd after spawning by making a series of rapid diggs while swimming forward. Whereas covering typically begins immediately after egg release with Pacific salmon species, a Dolly Varden female will initially undulate her body over her redd with an exaggerated swimming motion. Covering digs may be interspersed with further body undulations.

Pebbles fly
Pebbles fly through the water just behind a female Sockeye Salmon's (Oncorhynchus nerka) caudal fin as she covers her redd after spawning. Clouds of sperm are visible emanating from the redd and downstream where the alpha male guards.
25Mile Creek Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Copper River Delta Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Sockeye Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate covering redd fish behavior spawning behavior underwater
Sockeye Salmon female covering redd after spawning
Underwater view of Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) female covering her redd after spawning in a clear groundwater fed stream in the Copper River Delta near Cordova, Alaska during summer.
25Mile Creek Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii Copper River Delta Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate covering redd fish behavior in situ naturalworld nature spawning spawning act spawning behavior underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Chinook Salmon female covering her redd
Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) female covering her redd right after spawning in Montana Creek near Talkeetna, Alaska.
Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chinook Salmon Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei King Salmon Montana Creek Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Susitna River Tributary Teleost United States Vertebrate biosphere in situ naturalworld nature near Talkeetna photographed under water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
A jack tags along as a female Chinook Salmon covers her redd
A jack tags along as a female Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) covers her redd after spawning in Montana Creek near Talkeetna, Alaska.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chinook Salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei King Salmon Montana Creek Neopterygii Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Susitna River Tributary Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate covering redd fish behavior in situ jack jack salmon naturalworld nature near Talkeetna photographed under water precocial male precocious male spawning behavior topside underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
A female pink salmon makes her first covering dig
A female pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) makes her first covering dig after spawning sending a few lose eggs downstream.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon CRD Chordata Class Actinopterygii Copper River Delta Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate covering redd fish behavior in situ naturalworld nature spawning behavior underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Sockeye Salmon female beginning to cover her redd
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) female beginning to cover her redd immediately after spawning
Alaska wild salmon Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Vertebrate biosphere covering redd fish behavior in situ naturalworld nature spawning behavior underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Female Sockeye Salmon covering her redd
Female Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) covering her redd after spawning while male guards downstream
Alaska wild salmon Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Vertebrate biosphere covering redd fish behavior in situ naturalworld nature spawning behavior underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Covering Redd
Female Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) stating to make a dig that will contribute to covering her redd.
Actinopterygii Alaska wild salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Probing
A female Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) uses her anal fin to probe her redd between covering digs.
Actinopterygii Alaska wild salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Coho Salmon covering her redd
Female Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) covering her redd with a quick series of digs.
Alaska wild salmon Autumn Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Oncorhynchus kisutch Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Vertebrate biosphere covering redd fish behavior in situ naturalworld nature spawning behavior underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Waving over redd
A female Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) waves her body over her redd as part of the covering process as a male guards.
Alaska wild salmon Autumn Class Actinopterygii Dolly Varden Dolly Varden Char Dolly Varden Charr Dolly Varden Charr southern form Infraclass Teleostei Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Salvelinus malma Salvelinus malma lordi Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Vertebrate biosphere in situ naturalworld underwater wild wild salmon
Covering the redd
Female Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) covering her redd.
Alaska wild salmon Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Vertebrate biosphere in situ naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Covering the red
Female Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) covering her redd.
Alaska wild salmon Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Vertebrate biosphere covering redd fish behavior in situ naturalworld nature spawning spawning behavior underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Covering the redd
Female Sockeye Salmon a.k.a. Red Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) covers her redd immediately after spawning as the male guards in an Alaska, USA stream during the summer. Sperm that has not drifted downstream clouds the water above the redd.
Alaska wild salmon Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Vertebrate biosphere covering redd fish behavior in situ male behavior milt naturalworld nature spawning spawning behavior underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
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Actinopterygii Alaska wild salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biosphere chordate covering redd fish behavior in situ naturalworld nature spawning behavior underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon