Sockeye Salmon
OrderSalmoniformes
FamilySalmonidae
HabitatRivers & Ocean
RangeN. Pacific
Max Length84 cm
Max Weight7.7 kg
DietZooplanktivore
About the Sockeye Salmon
Silver-blue at sea, it turns bright red with a green head when it returns to fresh water to spawn. Bristol Bay in Alaska hosts the largest sockeye run on Earth. Most young spend one or more years in lakes before going to sea. Like other Pacific salmon, adults die after spawning.