Dog Salmon Herring

'Dog Salmon Herring' is a regional colloquial name for the chum salmon, one of seven Pacific salmon species in the genus Oncorhynchus. The 'dog salmon' nickname comes from the large, canine-like teeth males develop while spawning, and the 'herring' reference is a folk association rather than a taxonomic one — chum salmon belong to the salmon family Salmonidae, not the herring family Clupeidae. Chum salmon are anadromous, hatching in freshwater rivers of the North Pacific rim, migrating to the open ocean to mature, then returning to natal streams to spawn. They range from California and Korea north through Alaska and Siberia, and are the most widely distributed of all Pacific salmon.

Chum salmon are large, streamlined fish that change dramatically in appearance as spawning approaches.

• Ocean phase: bright silver body, small black speckles, no obvious spots on the tail
• Spawning phase: dull olive-green with irregular purple-red vertical streaking ('calico' pattern)
• Teeth: pronounced, large canine-like teeth in males, the source of the 'dog salmon' name
• Fins: small adipose fin present; anal fin has 12-17 rays, more than most other salmon
• Size: typically 60-90 cm, occasionally larger The lack of black spots on the back and tail, combined with the heavy canine teeth in breeding adults, separate it from coho and Chinook salmon.

Chum salmon are anadromous, spending most of their adult life feeding in the open North Pacific Ocean before returning to coastal rivers and streams to spawn. Their native range spans the Pacific Rim from central California and Korea north through British Columbia, Alaska, and the Russian Far East. Juveniles migrate to sea soon after hatching and spend little time in freshwater compared to other salmon, moving quickly through estuaries into coastal marine waters. Adults spawn in the lower reaches of rivers, often close to tidal influence, preferring gravel-bottomed stream sections with steady flow rather than headwater tributaries favored by some other Pacific salmon species.

Chum salmon travel in loose schools during their ocean-feeding phase, covering vast distances across the North Pacific before homing back to their natal river system. As spawning approaches, males develop hooked jaws and large teeth used in competition for mates and to guard nest sites. Females excavate gravel nests called redds, deposit eggs, and both sexes die within weeks of spawning, their bodies returning nutrients to the river ecosystem. Juveniles feed on plankton and insects in estuaries before dispersing to open water. Chum salmon play an important ecological role, transporting marine nutrients into freshwater and coastal food webs and supporting numerous predator species.