Difference Between King Salmon & Sockeye Salmon
King salmon and sockeye salmon both belong to the Pacific Ocean species of salmon. But they have many differences, including size, habitat and spawning habits.
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Size
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King salmon, also called chinook, average 10 to 15 pounds, with some rare kings weighing up to 100 pounds. Sockeye salmon are smaller, averaging 5 to 8 pounds, with a maximum weight of 15 pounds.
Age
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The life span of all salmon is the same, about two to seven years; the cause of death is usually fishing, illness or natural predators.
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Feeding
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King salmon feed on small fish and bugs in the water. Sockeye salmon have a unique way of eating called filter feeding: They drink in water with plankton and expel the water through gill rakers, which retain the plankton as food.
Spawning
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Both king and sockeye salmon spawn in the fall. Kings spawn in large rivers with high water flow, while sockeye stick to rivers with a tributary to a lake.
Rearing
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The young king salmon, called "fry," rear in freshwater for up to a year. Sockeye fry rear in a lake for one to two years.
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References
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Sharon Mollerus
