Habitat

Habitat favorable to salmonids may be at odds with aesthetics.

Coho Salmon fry
Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch) fry (length ~ 3cm) rearing in a shallow stream near the cover provided by wood (background).
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Cordova Eccles Creek Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Prince William Sound RS28mm Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Silver Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate anadromous anadromy chordate diadromous diadromy feeding feeding aggregation fresh water freshwater fry habitat juvenile lotic migratory paar marks semelparity semelparous stream stream ecology summer under fresh water underwater
Salmon habitat change
Recent change is evident in this upstream view within a major Sockeye and Coho salmon spawning reach in Power Creek near Cordova, Alaska. Former streambead on the partially snow-covered left side is about 1 meter higher than the water level. The stream has migrated to the right enveloping large spruce and hemlock trees. The remains of one tree that was deposited on the elevated former streambed during a rain event is visible in the background.
Alaska Alaska wild salmon Autumn South Central Alaska United States climate change fresh water freshwater habitat lotic salmon habitat spawning reach stream topside wild
Sockeye on redds
Sockeye salmon paired up on redds in preparation for spawning in an Alaskan stream
Actinopterygii Alaska 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 South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate fresh water freshwater lotic nature stream topside underwaterphoto wild
Sockeye on redds
Sockeye salmon paired up on redds in preparation for spawning in an Alaskan stream
Actinopterygii Alaska 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 South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate fresh water freshwater lotic nature stream topside underwaterphoto wild
Sockeye Salmon excavating her redd
Above water view of a female Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) excavating her redd with alpha male just downstream of her. The object in the frame's lower left is a decomposing salmon carcass.
Alaska Alaska wild salmon Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Summer United States fresh water freshwater lotic pond salmon habitat stream topside wild wild salmon
After spawning
In January there is little evidence that thousands of salmon have recently spawned here.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate fresh water freshwater habitat in situ lotic naturalworld nature salmon habitat stream topside underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon winter
Waiting to spawn
Coho salmon undergoing the final stages of maturation.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Autumn Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon Sockeye Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate fresh water freshwater habitat in situ lotic naturalworld nature stream topside underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Sockeye Salmon spawning habitat
Sockeye Salmon spawning habitat in a small Alaskan stream with woody debris.
Actinopterygii Alaska 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 South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate fresh water freshwater habitat lotic nature stream summer topside underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Sockeye Salmon spawning habitat
Sockeye Salmon spawning habitat in a small Alaskan stream with woody debris.
Actinopterygii Alaska 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 South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate fresh water freshwater habitat lotic nature stream summer topside underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Sockeye Salmon spawning habitat
Sockeye Salmon spawning habitat in a small Alaskan stream with woody debris.
Actinopterygii Alaska 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 South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate fresh water freshwater habitat lotic nature stream summer topside underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
High-density Chum Salmon spawning
High-density Chum Salmon spawning in a small Alaskan stream.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus keta Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate covering redd fresh water freshwater habitat in situ lotic naturalworld nature photographed under water spawning behavior stream topside underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Chum Salmon spawning habitat
Chum Salmon spawning habitat in a small Alaskan stream.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus keta Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate covering redd fresh water freshwater habitat in situ lotic naturalworld nature photographed under water spawning behavior stream topside underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Deep water
Chum Salmon migrating upstream will stack up and stage in deeper water.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus keta Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate covering redd fresh water freshwater habitat in situ lotic naturalworld nature photographed under water spawning behavior staging stream topside underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Deep water
Chum Salmon migrating upstream will stack up and stage in deeper water.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus keta Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate covering redd fresh water freshwater habitat in situ lotic naturalworld nature photographed under water spawning behavior staging stream topside underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Under cover
Pink and Chum salmon aggregated while staging under the cover provided by overhanging dead trees adjacent to spawning habitat.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus keta Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate covering redd fresh water freshwater habitat in situ lotic naturalworld nature photographed under water spawning behavior staging stream topside underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Surface ripples in a Snell's window
Surface ripples caused by a fish surfacing in this beaver pond within a stream occupied by Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) and Dolly Varden Charr (Salvelinus malma lordi).
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coastal Cutthroat Trout Copper River Delta Dolly Varden Dolly Varden Char Dolly Varden Charr Dolly Varden Charr southern form Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus clarkii Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii Pacific trout Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Salvelinus malma Salvelinus malma lordi Snell's window South Central Alaska spring Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ naturalworld underwater