Department of Fish and Game

Fisheries Resources and Species Management

Resources Overview | Coho: Home , Life History , Range , Recovery , Recovery Report , Environmental Report , Status Review Report

Coho Salmon : important terms

 

Redd
A nest created using powerful rapid movements of the tail to dislodge the gravels, in which the female deposits her eggs.

 

Fecundity
The number of eggs produced by each female salmon.

 

Alevin
Stage in the life cycle of salmon following emergence from the egg stage, characterized by the presence of a yolk sac attached to the body.

 

Fry
Stage in the life cycle of salmon following the “alevin” stage, characterized by the loss of the yolk sac and beginning of feeding on external prey.

 

Parr
Stage in the life cycle of salmon following the “fry” stage, characterized by the presence of dark vertical bands on the side of its body.

 

Smolt
Stage in the life cycle of salmon following the “parr” stage, characterized by hormonal and other physiological changes that prepare the fish for its seaward migration and life in salt water, the loss of parr marks, and appearance of a silvery color.

 

Emigration
Seaward migration of salmon from their natal streams to the ocean. Also called “outmigration.”

 

What is an Anadromous Fish?