Salmon straying

The return migration of adult salmon to spawn in the very stream where they were born, or philopatry, is a well known attribute of salmon. However, not all salmon are perfect in this ability. Many salmon will stray from their birth stream and spawn somewhere else. Straying enables salmon to colonize new habitat. Over geological time straying has enabled five anadromous Pacific salmon species to colonize the boreal margin of the North Pacific Ocean. With human assistance, they are presently colonizing waterways draining into other ocean basins.

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.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Sockeye Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate near Cordova salmon habitat straying topside
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
Actinopterygii Alaska Chinook Salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei King Salmon Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate drought jack jack salmon near Cordova precocial male precocious male salmon habitat straying topside
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.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chinook Salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei King Salmon Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate jack jack salmon near Cordova precocial male precocious male salmon habitat straying topside
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
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chinook Salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei King Salmon Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Oncorhynchus keta Oncorhynchus tshawytscha 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 in situ naturalworld nature near Cordova photographed under water schooling spawning behavior straying topside underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild 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.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus keta 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 anadromous anadromy biosphere chordate covering redd diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature photographed under water semelparity semelparous spawning behavior straying stream under fresh water underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild 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.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus keta 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 in situ naturalworld nature photographed under water spawning behavior topside underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild 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.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Dolly Varden Dolly Varden Char Dolly Varden Charr Dolly Varden Charr southern form Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Oncorhynchus kisutch Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Salvelinus malma Salvelinus malma lordi Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon Sockeye Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ naturalworld nature schooling spawning migration straying underwater underwaterphoto wild
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.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Dolly Varden Dolly Varden Char Dolly Varden Charr Dolly Varden Charr southern form Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Oncorhynchus kisutch Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Salvelinus malma Salvelinus malma lordi Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon Sockeye Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ naturalworld nature schooling spawning migration straying underwater underwaterphoto wild
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.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chinook Salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei King Salmon Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Oncorhynchus keta Oncorhynchus tshawytscha 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 in situ naturalworld nature photographed under water spawning behavior underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild 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.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chinook Salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei King Salmon Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Oncorhynchus keta Oncorhynchus tshawytscha 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 in situ naturalworld nature photographed under water spawning behavior underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild 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.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Dog Salmon Fish Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus keta 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 anadromous anadromy biosphere chordate covering redd diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature photographed under water semelparity semelparous spawning behavior straying stream under fresh water underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild salmon