Sneaker males - satellite males

Male salmonids not measuring up to be alpha males will attempt to sneak-spawn. Redd excavation activity can attract a number of interested males, those other than the alpha male are known as satellite males.

Coho Salmon spawning in stained-water 18-mile Creek
Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) spawning in stained-water 18-mile Creek in the Copper River Delta coastal plain within the Chugach National Forest. Photographed in situ using a Canon 1D Mark IV camera in a Seacam underwater housing.
18mile Creek Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Copper River Delta Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate anadromous anadromous fish anadromy biosphere chordate diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature semelparity semelparous spawning spawning act spawning behavior stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
A sneaker male joins a Chinook Salmon pair commencing to spawn
A sneaker male joins a Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) pair commencing to spawn in Montana Creek near Talkeetna, Alaska. Photographed in situ using a Canon 1Dx camera in a Seacam underwater housing.
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 anadromous anadromy biosphere chordate diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature near Talkeetna photographed under water semelparity semelparous squatting stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Approaching sneaker male
A sneaker Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) male attempting to joing a pair already in the act of spawning in an Alaskan glacial creek. Photographed in situ using a Canon 1Dx camera in a Seacam underwater housing.
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 biosphere chordate in situ naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Satellite male quivering a female Pink Salmon
In the absence of an alpha male, a small-humped satellite or sneaker male quivers a female Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) who is preparing her redd for spawning.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Cordova Eccles Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Prince William Sound Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ male behavior naturalworld nature quivering sneaker male underwater underwaterphoto wild
Coho Salmon spawning
Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) spawning. Aspect Ratio = 1:1.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Autumn 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 anadromous anadromous fish anadromy biosphere chordate diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature semelparity semelparous spawning spawning act spawning behavior stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Coho Salmon spawning act
Coho Salmon a.k.a. Silver Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the act of spawning in an Alaska stream during the autumn. Two sneaker males are spawning along with an alpha male.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Autumn 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 anadromous anadromous fish anadromy biosphere chordate diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature salmonography.com semelparity semelparous spawning spawning act spawning behavior stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Pink Salmon spawning
Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) spawning in the intertidal portion of a creek. Sneaker males about to join in are flanking the couple.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii 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 anadromous anadromy biosphere chordate diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ intertidal spawning lotic migratory naturalworld nature salmonography.com semelparity semelparous spawning spawning act spawning behavior stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Coho Salmon spawning
Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) spawning. Three sneaker males are spawning alongside the alpha male.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Autumn 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 anadromous anadromous fish anadromy biosphere chordate diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature salmonography.com semelparity semelparous stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Coho Salmon commencing to spawn.
Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) commencing to spawn. Aspect Ratio = 4:5.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Autumn 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 anadromous anadromous fish anadromy biosphere chordate diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature semelparity semelparous stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Spawning Coho Salmon
Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) spawning. Two sneaker males actively spawning alonside while othes approach.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Autumn 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 anadromous anadromous fish anadromy biosphere chordate diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature semelparity semelparous spawning spawning behavior stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Pink Salmon spawning heierarchy
A high-humped Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) alpha male holds his position next to a female excavating her redd while a heierarchy of decreasing hump size satellite males lurk downstream. Aspect Ratio = 1:2.5.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Class Actinopterygii Dolly Varden Dolly Varden Char Dolly Varden Charr Dolly Varden Charr southern form Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Salvelinus malma Salvelinus malma lordi Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate alpha male anadromous anadromy biosphere chordate diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature probing salmonography.com semelparity semelparous spawning behavior stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Spawning Coho Salmon including a jack
Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) including a jack commencing to spawn. Additional sneaker males entering the fray.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Autumn 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 anadromous anadromous fish anadromy biosphere chordate diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lotic migratory naturalworld nature semelparity semelparous stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Chum Salmon spawning
Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) commencing to spawn. Two competing satelite males performing lateral threat display do not yet relize this.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Chordata Chum Salmon Class Actinopterygii Coastal Cutthroat Trout Dog Salmon Fish Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus clarkii Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Oncorhynchus keta Pacific salmon Pacific trout Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate anadromous anadromy biosphere chordate covering redd diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ lateral display lotic migratory naturalworld nature photographed under water salmonography.com semelparity semelparous spawning spawning act spawning behavior stream under fresh water underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild salmon