Salmon straying
Straying facilitates genetic exchange among salmon populations of each species thus preserving each species’ integrity. Thus Pink Salmon spawning in western North America and those spawning in Eastern Asia are the same species. As well, straying can lead to inter-species sex. Conversely, geographic isolation can to lead speciation (and sub-speciatIon), while not the case for the anadromous Pacific salmon, this is the situation for land-locked Pacific trout, which are now congeners of the Pacific salmon.
Unequivocally identifying a stray salmon generally involves using an invasive technique such as tagging or DNA sampling that are inconsistent with the non-destructive and conservation ethic of my photography. This gallery thus consists of images of putative stray salmon. Putative stray salmon are those that are a poor fit for an image’s location. For example, the occurrence of single salmon of a given species alongside other salmon species in a stream. This is the odd fish out situation. Another case is when only a few occurrences of a given salmon species have happened (over many years of observation) and that species is not listed for a stream in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Alaska Anadromous Waters Catalog.
Putative stray Sockeye salmon
This red colored salmon is a Sockeye Salmon (Onchorhynchus nerka), a putative stray in Hartney Creek, near Cordova, Alaska, which is a Pink, Chum, and Coho salmon stream.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaChordataClass ActinopterygiiHartney CreekHumpback SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus gorbuschaOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPink SalmonRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSockeye SalmonSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratechordatenear Cordovasalmon habitatstrayingtopside
Putative stray Chinook Salmon
The red colored salmon is a jack (note size similarity to adjacent Pink Salmon) Chinook Salmon (Onchorhynchus tshawytscha), a putative stray in Hartney Creek, near Cordova, Alaska, which is a Pink, Chum, and Coho salmon stream. This photo was taken during the 2019 drought when there was widespread pre-spawn salmon mortality as evidenced here by the dead salmon lying on the stream bottom
ActinopterygiiAlaskaChinook SalmonChordataClass ActinopterygiiHartney CreekHumpback SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiKing SalmonNeopterygiiOncorhynchus gorbuschaOncorhynchus tshawytschaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPink SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratechordatedroughtjackjack salmonnear Cordovaprecocial maleprecocious malesalmon habitatstrayingtopside
Putative stray Chinook Salmon
Topside view of the odd stray Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) among Pink Salmon (O. gorbuscha) and Chum Salmon (O. keta) in a dense school homing to spawn in Hartney Creek near Cordova, Alaska during summer. Its small size suggests that this stray is a jack salmon.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaChinook SalmonChordataClass ActinopterygiiHartney CreekHumpback SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiKing SalmonNeopterygiiOncorhynchus gorbuschaOncorhynchus tshawytschaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPink SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratechordatejackjack salmonnear Cordovaprecocial maleprecocious malesalmon habitatstrayingtopside
Putative stray Chinook Salmon
Topside view of the odd stray Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) among Pink Salmon (O. gorbuscha) and Chum Salmon (O. keta) in a dense school homing to spawn in Hartney Creek near Cordova, Alaska during summer. Its small size suggests that this stray is a jack salmon
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChinook SalmonChordataChum SalmonClass ActinopterygiiDog SalmonFishHartney CreekHumpback SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiKing SalmonNeopterygiiOncorhynchus gorbuschaOncorhynchus ketaOncorhynchus tshawytschaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPink SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherechordatecovering reddin situnaturalworldnaturenear Cordovaphotographed under waterschoolingspawning behaviorstrayingtopsideunderwaterunderwater photographyunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Inter-species sex
A putative stray male Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) spawns with a female Sockeye Salmon (O. nerka). Viable hybrids are possible between Pacific salmon species.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChordataChum SalmonClass ActinopterygiiDog SalmonFishInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus ketaOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSockeye SalmonSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebrateanadromousanadromybiospherechordatecovering redddiadromousdiadromyfresh waterfreshwaterin situloticmigratorynaturalworldnaturephotographed under watersemelparitysemelparousspawning behaviorstrayingstreamunder fresh waterunderwaterunderwater photographyunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Frame grab from topside video of a putative male Chum Salmon spawning with a female Sockeye Salmon
Frame grab from topside video of male Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) spawning with a female Sockeye Salmon (O. nerka) while two Sockeye Salmon males fight on the side opposite of the Seacam underwater housing used to shoot stills of same event.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChordataChum SalmonClass ActinopterygiiDog SalmonFishInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus ketaOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSockeye SalmonSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiSummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherechordatecovering reddin situnaturalworldnaturephotographed under waterspawning behaviortopsideunderwaterunderwater photographyunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Putative stray Sockeye Salmon
The red colored salmon is a female Sockeye Salmon (Onchorhynchus nerka), a putative stray in Hartney Creek, near Cordova, Alaska, which is a Pink, Chum, and Coho salmon and Dolly Varden Charr stream.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaChordataClass ActinopterygiiCoho SalmonDolly VardenDolly Varden CharDolly Varden CharrDolly Varden Charr southern formHumpback SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus gorbuschaOncorhynchus kisutchOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPink SalmonRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSalvelinus malmaSalvelinus malma lordiSeacam underwater housingSilver SalmonSockeye SalmonSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiisummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherechordatein situnaturalworldnatureschoolingspawning migrationstrayingunderwaterunderwaterphotowild
Putative stray Sockeye Salmon
The red colored salmon is a female Sockeye Salmon (Onchorhynchus nerka), a putative stray in Hartney Creek, near Cordova, Alaska, which is a Pink, Chum, and Coho salmon and Dolly Varden Charr stream.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaChordataClass ActinopterygiiCoho SalmonDolly VardenDolly Varden CharDolly Varden CharrDolly Varden Charr southern formHumpback SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus gorbuschaOncorhynchus kisutchOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPink SalmonRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSalvelinus malmaSalvelinus malma lordiSeacam underwater housingSilver SalmonSockeye SalmonSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiisummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherechordatein situnaturalworldnatureschoolingspawning migrationstrayingunderwaterunderwaterphotowild
Putative stray Chinook Salmon
The red colored salmon is a Chinook Salmon (Onchorhynchus tshawytscha), a putative stray in Hartney Creek, near Cordova, Alaska, which is a Pink, Chum and Coho salmon stream.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChinook SalmonChordataChum SalmonClass ActinopterygiiDog SalmonFishHumpback SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiKing SalmonNeopterygiiOncorhynchus gorbuschaOncorhynchus ketaOncorhynchus tshawytschaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPink SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiisummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherechordatecovering reddin situnaturalworldnaturephotographed under waterspawning behaviorunderwaterunderwater photographyunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Putative stray Chinook Salmon
The red colored salmon is a Chinook Salmon (Onchorhynchus tshawytscha), a putative stray in Hartney Creek, near Cordova, Alaska, which is a Pink, Chum and Coho salmon stream.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChinook SalmonChordataChum SalmonClass ActinopterygiiDog SalmonFishHumpback SalmonInfraclass TeleosteiKing SalmonNeopterygiiOncorhynchus gorbuschaOncorhynchus ketaOncorhynchus tshawytschaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataPink SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiisummerTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebratebiospherechordatecovering reddin situnaturalworldnaturephotographed under waterspawning behaviorunderwaterunderwater photographyunderwaterphotowildwild salmon
Puatative stray Chum Salmon alongside Sockeye Salmon
Putative stray Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) alongside Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). This is the only time I have been able to photograph more than one Chum Salmon at a time in this stream. Aspect Ratio = 1:2.
ActinopterygiiAlaskaAlaska wild salmonChordataChum SalmonClass ActinopterygiiDog SalmonFishInfraclass TeleosteiNeopterygiiOncorhynchus ketaOncorhynchus nerkaPacific salmonPhylum ChordataRed SalmonSalmonidaeSalmoniformesSalmoninaeSeacam underwater housingSockeye SalmonSouth Central AlaskaSubclass NeopterygiiTeleostTeleosteiUnited StatesVertebrateanadromousanadromybiospherechordatecovering redddiadromousdiadromyfresh waterfreshwaterin situloticmigratorynaturalworldnaturephotographed under watersemelparitysemelparousspawning behaviorstrayingstreamunder fresh waterunderwaterunderwater photographyunderwaterphotowildwild salmon