Seema
Encyclopedia
Oncorhynchus masou, has three different subspecies. 'Song-eo; 송어' or 'Sancheoneo; 산천어' Oncorhynchus masou masou in Korea, and 'Formosan salmon; Oncorhynchus masou formosanum as in Tiwan, and as Masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou macrostomus in Japan. Pacific Ocean
: (Kamchatka
, Kuril Islands
, Sakhalin
, Primorsky Krai
, Korea
, Japan
). A critically endangered, landlocked subspecies commonly called the Taiwanese salmon or Formosan salmon (Oncorhynchus masou formosanus) also exists in Taiwan
.
This fish prefers a temperate climate, around the area of 65° N - 58° N, and in the sea, it prefers a depth range of 0 – 200 m.
As adults, masu salmon tend to weigh 2 to 2.5 kg and measure roughly 50 cm in length. The maximum size that can be attained by this species (which is in the region of Primorsky Krai
) is 71 cm long and 9 kg in weight.
s, less often on young fish. On attaining sexual maturity, in its third to seventh years of life it enters rivers to spawn. Its spawning run starts earlier than that of other salmon species.
After spawning, most passing fish die, and those that remain alive (preferentially dwarf males) participate in spawning next year, too. Emerging from the nest, the young do not roll into the sea but remain in spawning areas, in the upper reaches of rivers, and on shallows with weak currents. The young move to pools and rolls of the river core to feed on chironomid, stone fly and may fly larvae, and on air insects. The masu salmon rolls into the sea in its second, occasionally even third year of life.
, and sought after as a game fish. It is marketed fresh and frozen and is often eaten broiled or baked.
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
: (Kamchatka
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
, Kuril Islands
Kuril Islands
The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater...
, Sakhalin
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
, Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
). A critically endangered, landlocked subspecies commonly called the Taiwanese salmon or Formosan salmon (Oncorhynchus masou formosanus) also exists in Taiwan
Geography of Taiwan
Taiwan is a medium-sized archipelago in East Asia, located at 23°30" N, 121°00" E and running through the middle of the Tropic of Cancer . It makes up the majority of the territories effectively under the administration of the Republic of China .- Formation :The island of Taiwan was formed...
.
This fish prefers a temperate climate, around the area of 65° N - 58° N, and in the sea, it prefers a depth range of 0 – 200 m.
Appearance
A masu salmon which has reached sexual maturity has a darkened back, and the stripes on the body sides become bright red with crimson tinge to merge on the abdomen into one common longitudinal band of lighter color. It is for this reason that it was given the name Cherry Salmon.As adults, masu salmon tend to weigh 2 to 2.5 kg and measure roughly 50 cm in length. The maximum size that can be attained by this species (which is in the region of Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
) is 71 cm long and 9 kg in weight.
Life cycle
Like other Pacific salmon, its life cycle is subdivided into marine and freshwater periods; in rivers, this species lives from 1 to 3 years and can form living fresh-water forms. The sea life cycle, depending on the age of the young, continues for 2 to 3.5 years. In the sea, the masu salmon feed intensely on crustaceanCrustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, less often on young fish. On attaining sexual maturity, in its third to seventh years of life it enters rivers to spawn. Its spawning run starts earlier than that of other salmon species.
After spawning, most passing fish die, and those that remain alive (preferentially dwarf males) participate in spawning next year, too. Emerging from the nest, the young do not roll into the sea but remain in spawning areas, in the upper reaches of rivers, and on shallows with weak currents. The young move to pools and rolls of the river core to feed on chironomid, stone fly and may fly larvae, and on air insects. The masu salmon rolls into the sea in its second, occasionally even third year of life.
Economic importance
This salmon, like most others, is a highly commercial species caught in fisheries, raised for aquacultureAquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
, and sought after as a game fish. It is marketed fresh and frozen and is often eaten broiled or baked.
Subspecies and morphs
- Oncorhynchus masou masou - masu salmon
- Satsukimasu salmonSatsukimasu salmonThe satsukimasu salmon, red-spotted masu salmon or amago is a salmonid fish in the Pacific salmon genus Oncorhynchus. It is endemic to Japan....
("Oncorhynchus ishikawai", synonym)- Iwame troutIwame troutThe iwame trout or markless trout, Oncorhynchus masou var. iwame, is a variety of salmonid fish inhabiting some fresh waters of Japan. Suspected to be not a real species since some time, it was recently confirmed to be a particular intra-specific morph occurring in some populations of the masu...
(morph, Oncorhynchus masou var. iwame)
- Iwame trout
- Satsukimasu salmon
- Oncorhynchus masou rhodurus - Biwa troutBiwa troutThe Biwa trout or Biwa salmon, Oncorhynchus masou rhodurus, is an anadromous salmonid fish of the Pacific salmon genus Oncorhynchus. It is one of several fish called trout, but taxonomically it is a subspecies of the more widespread cherry salmon of western Pacific...
- Oncorhynchus masou macrostomusOncorhynchus masou macrostomusOncorhynchus masou macrostomus, also referred to as the amago or the red-spotted masu salmon, is an anadromous salmonid fish endemic to Japan....
- amago, red-spotted masu salmon - Oncorhynchus masou formosanus - Taiwanese land-locked salmon