Pink salmon fish weight. Useful properties of pink salmon for humans

Pink salmon, also known to us as “pink salmon,” is one of the most popular commercial fish. It is found mainly in cold northern waters. Particularly common along the Pacific and Northern coasts Arctic Ocean. Every year, this fish migrates from salty to fresh water bodies, and then back. Moreover, it has the greatest nutritional value even before its migration begins, since in river water its meat loses its pleasant pink tint, and with it the incomparable taste qualities.
Pink salmon is an inexpensive fish. However, in modern restaurants they prepare real delicacies from it. Due to the high density of meat, this fish is very convenient for chefs to work with. In addition, each of us can make unique dishes from it. For example, this fish can be baked, fried, stewed, pickled and salted.

Compound

Pink salmon contains almost all trace elements known today. This is precisely what explains its special nutritional value.

So, the composition of that fish includes:

Valuable protein that allows you to feel full even after eating a small piece.
Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids. They are responsible for the youth of all cells in our body, making them strong and resistant to any negative effects.
Vitamins A, C and almost all existing B vitamins. In addition, pink salmon contains a high percentage of vitamin PP, which is responsible for the stable functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and is also extremely beneficial for the central nervous system. This vitamin is not present in all foods; moreover, it is not even in every fish. But pink salmon really has plenty of it.
Iodine, providing full-time job endocrine gland.
Fluorine, potassium, sodium and zinc take part in hematopoiesis and also promote bone tissue regeneration.
A variety of minerals necessary for the full functioning of the human body: sulfur, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, cobalt, chlorine, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, etc.

Calorie content

Pink salmon can vary in fat content, which means that its calorie content can also vary greatly. But on average 100 g of this product contains from 140 to 170 kcal.

How many calories are contained in pink salmon is influenced by the method of its preparation.

For example, when stewed, it is an ideal dietary product, but as a result of smoking, its calorie content increases to almost 200 kcal.

Useful properties

Thanks to its unique composition, pink salmon is so beneficial for the human body that it can be considered a real panacea for a number of different diseases.

Regular consumption of pink salmon has a positive effect on the health of the central nervous system.
Its meat is prescribed to people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases, as well as kidney diseases.
Eating this fish can make the skin cleaner and fresher, and also improves the condition of the mucous membranes.
Thanks to the content of Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, eating pink salmon can significantly delay the aging process, give energy and new strength.
Omega-3 acids also act as natural antioxidants.
Pink salmon helps regulate blood sugar.
The high phosphorus content accelerates metabolism, and one of its compounds - phosphate salts - helps in the construction of skeletal tissue.
Particular attention should be paid to the consumption of pink salmon to all those who suffer from thyroid diseases, since this fish contains a lot of iodine.
The high content of vitamin B6 is extremely beneficial for circulatory system brain This vitamin improves memory, increases performance and simply improves your mood.

Pink salmon in cosmetology

Pink salmon is actively used not only in cooking and the treatment of various diseases, but also in cosmetology. In particular, we're talking about about his caviar. Thanks to your amazing properties it helps restore youth and radiance to the skin, make hair thicker and silkier, and stimulate more intensive growth.
In order to use caviar in cosmetics, highly effective modern technologies, implementing necessary processing this product. That is why today only large cosmetology companies in the world are engaged in the creation of appropriate cosmetics. In most cases, their products are anti-aging in nature and are aimed at women over the age of 35.

Pink salmon for weight loss

Pink salmon is a dietary product that fits perfectly into the diet of those who are watching their weight or want to get rid of unnecessary pounds. The reason for this is the low fat content in its meat and at the same time high level of energy value.
Since this fish contains a lot of valuable bek, even a small piece of it is enough to quickly satisfy your hunger and feel full for a long time. In this case, all calories consumed will be spent on maintaining the vitality of the body, and not stored as fat layers.
A particularly pleasant point is that all diets that are based on eating pink salmon do not require you to limit your diet and count calories. Moreover, unlike most other diets, they do not harm the body because they do not deprive it of essential vitamins.

Of course, the dietary benefits of pink salmon largely depend on the method of its preparation. Thus, nutritionists under no circumstances recommend frying it or, for example, eating it canned, because in this case the meat is saturated with vegetable fats, and the number of calories in it increases.
It is best to cook pink salmon in the oven or steamed, then it will retain maximum of its beneficial properties. Prepared in this way, it will not only be low in calories, but also incredibly juicy and tasty.
Cooked fish can be drizzled lemon juice and serve with a vegetable side dish.

Good to know

In order for pink salmon to be tasty and truly benefit the body, it is necessary to choose and purchase it wisely. This fish, as a rule, arrives on the shelves of our stores frozen, and therefore it is extremely difficult to determine its freshness, but it is still possible. To do this, you just need to follow some tips:

the gills must be clean and always red or pink, but not black or greenish;
the abdomen should be pink, but not yellow;
if traces of “windiness” are noticeable on the tail or fins, this indicates that the fish has been defrosted more than once.

Also, if you buy fillets, pay attention to their color. If it is not pink, but whitish, this means that the fish was caught in a freshwater river. That is, its meat is noticeably inferior in taste to pink salmon caught at sea.

Harmful properties

Pink salmon has virtually no contraindications. However, some people may have an intolerance to seafood products. In this case, its use should be treated with extreme caution. In addition, those who are allergic to products containing iodine and phosphorus should avoid using it as food.
Doctors also recommend that people suffering from gastrointestinal ulcers and chronic liver diseases not get carried away with consuming pink salmon.
Do you like to treat yourself to smoked fish? There is nothing wrong with this as long as you adhere to the principles of moderation. The only condition is that you should not eat the skin of smoked pink salmon. The fact is that during the smoking process various harmful substances accumulate in it, which can adversely affect your health.

Pink salmon (Yakut. Kyhyl balyk) is a species of anadromous fish from the salmon family (Salmonidae). The smallest and most widespread representative of the genus of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus).

Description

The body is slender, covered with small scales. The sides and belly are silvery in color, the back is dark. The lateral line is clearly visible. Large and small on the caudal fin dark spots, small on the back. After entering rivers and staying in fresh water, pink salmon acquire their nuptial plumage: the body flattens and becomes brown in color, the head and fins turn black, the jaws bend, and large teeth grow on them. Males develop a hump on their back.

The smallest representative of salmon. The maximum length does not exceed 68 cm, and the weight is 3.0 kg. Males are usually larger than females. Pink salmon all mature in the second year of life. Spawning along the main channel and along the lower reaches major tributaries. Spawning grounds are located on rifts with clean water and on non-silted soil consisting of gravel and pebbles mixed with sand. Spawning occurs in August and continues until mid-September. Caviar with a diameter of 6 mm. At the end of April, the larvae emerge into the water column and slide down the river. After going to sea, the juveniles stay in shallow waters for about a month, actively feeding on small crustaceans. In a year and a half sea life Pink salmon return to their native rivers to spawn. Homing (the instinct of the native river) is less pronounced in pink salmon than in other Pacific salmon.

- the most numerous representative of the Pacific salmon genus. It lives in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, is found in the Arctic Ocean west to Lena and along the Asian coast south to the Korean Peninsula and the shores of Hokkaido and Honshu. Along the American coast, pink salmon are also widely distributed - from the Colville River in the Arctic Ocean to the San Lorenzo River in California. Most numerous in the northern part of the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the South Kuril Islands, off eastern Kamchatka, in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Alaska and in British Columbia.

According to literature data it reaches maximum length 76 cm, weight 5.7 kg. Usually, pink salmon ranging from 32 to 64 cm in length go to rivers to spawn, with a predominance of individuals 38-59 cm in length and weighing 1.4 - 2.3 kg. As a rule, in years of high abundance, fish sizes are 2.5–5.7 cm smaller than in low-abundance generations. The exception is the pink salmon of northern Primorye and British Columbia, where the opposite trend is observed. Males, like others Far Eastern salmon, larger than females. Pink salmon live for 1.5 years, in the second year almost all of them become sexually mature. Therefore, generations of even and odd years are genetically isolated almost completely.

Pink salmon as a species is homogeneous and it is impossible to distinguish subspecies. High stability species characteristics pink salmon can be explained by the following reasons: the absence of pronounced homing and, as a consequence, the possibility of crossing even significantly distant populations; extremely short period of stay in fresh waters and living for most of life in very homogeneous ocean conditions; historical youth of the species; wide range of resistance to external factors environment during the breeding season and early feeding period at sea.

Nutrition

Pink salmon feed on small fish, fry and crustaceans. Pink salmon does not live long - 1.5-2 years, spawns once in its life, after spawning all fish die.

When pink salmon live in the sea, their body is silver in color and there are many small dark spots on the caudal fin. In the river, the color changes: dark spots cover the back, sides and head; by the time of spawning, the head and fins become almost black, and the whole body becomes brown, except for the belly, which remains white. The proportions of the body change especially dramatically: males develop a huge hump on their back, their jaws lengthen and curve, and they grow strong teeth. Once slender and beautiful fish becomes ugly.

Habitats

Pink salmon is found in cold waters, preferring a temperature of 5.6-14.6 °C with an optimal temperature of 10.1 °C. At a temperature of 25.8 °C, the fish dies. Pink salmon are found in coastal waters The Pacific and Arctic oceans, from the Sacramento River in Northern California to the Mackenzie River in Canada and from the Lena River in Siberia to Korea. In Asia it is distributed all the way to Honshu in the south. It has also taken root well on the Kola Peninsula.

Pink salmon is a typical migratory species that does not have freshwater forms; it feeds in the sea and goes to its native rivers to spawn. Homing, i.e. The ability to return to the native river is well developed, but often fails, so entering “foreign” rivers is possible. It has a short life cycle and spawns once in its life; after spawning it dies. Since 1956, it has been periodically introduced into the rivers of the Barents and White Seas. Moreover, after feeding in the sea, pink salmon return to spawn not only in the rivers where the young were released, but also enter the rivers from Yamal and Pechora to Murmansk and further to the shores of Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and the British Isles. Self-reproducing population groups have formed in Norway.

Pink salmon, apparently, along with masu salmon, is the most heat-loving species in the genus Oncorhynchus. It winters in those areas of the ocean where the surface temperature does not drop below 5° C. This circumstance, apparently, also contributes to its rapid growth.

Spawning

The spawning run of pink salmon is an unforgettable sight. Splashes are visible throughout the river: like other salmon, pink salmon moving against the current move near the bottom, but often come to the surface. At the same time, it can jump out of the water, but more often it just shows its head and back. A lot of fish also move near the shore, at a depth of 25 - 50 centimeters. Often they move in wake columns, one directly following the other. Each such column in small places leaves behind a furrow located along the shore, carved into the pebbles by the tails of fish.

At this time, many fish-eating birds - seagulls and eagles - appear near the rivers. Bears from all the surrounding mountains descend into the valleys and wander along the channels, trying to pick up fish with their claws. While rafting on a rubber boat, it is not difficult to get close to a bear keen on fishing. Even seals can leave the sea and, following schools of salmon, move up rivers, sometimes rising tens or hundreds of kilometers.

In the sea, pink salmon feed actively, and choose more high-calorie food than chum salmon. While chum salmon's food consists of more than 50% pteropods and tunicates, pink salmon prefers small fish, fry (30%) and crustaceans (50%). Therefore, it grows and matures unusually quickly: 18 months after escaping into the sea, it returns to the rivers to lay eggs and die. True, opinions have been expressed that a significant part of pink salmon spawns in the third or fourth year of life. However, this is unlikely to be the case. Sea catches have shown that in August only a few individuals remain in the sea, for some reason late in development.

Pink salmon have one amazing biological feature: All of its larvae are females at first. Only before they emerge from the ground, approximately half of the individuals undergo sex changes and become males.

Herds

It is now generally accepted that pink salmon forms a number of stocks connected by a certain complex of rivers (and not by separate spawning areas, since the instinct of returning to the “native” river in pink salmon is least developed due to the short period of stay of fry in rivers). There are Primorye, Hokkaido, Amur, West Sakhalin (in the Sea of Japan), North Okhotsk, West Kamchatka, East Sakhalin, South Kuril, South Sakhalin, West Bering Sea, and American herds.

Fishing methods

The fisherman must be able to “read the river” by the color of the water, by the disruptions of the jets and whirlpools, to guess deeper places of riffles, areas with a sharp change in depth, submerged snags, etc. In such places or directly below them, a slow current or countercurrent is most often created, what attracts fish. Targeted fishing of such points is much more effective than combing the entire area of the reach with a spoon. An experienced fisherman can be recognized by the fact that even in an unfamiliar place he immediately sends the bait to the right place and gets a bite from the very first casts.

In addition, to successfully catch salmon with a spinning rod, you need to learn to feel the bottom, that is, be able to move the spoon in close proximity to it. A pink salmon bite is usually felt as a slight, often double jerk or blow to the spoon; after hooking it strongly resists. Pink salmon is one of the strongest and fastest fish, its females are also wedding attire don't get weaker. Once hooked, they suddenly rush from side to side, make beautiful “candles” (jump out of the water) and therefore get off the hook more often. Males, on the contrary, quickly lose weight in the river, become flat and lose speed.

Having taken the lure, they most often pull the line strongly and almost without jerking. When a horsey, two-kilogram male with the proportions of a large bream stands with his head from the shore across a strong current, it may seem that a large chum salmon has been caught. The feeling on a spinning rod is approximately the same - a powerful pull directed downstream and away from the shore.

Pink salmon can bite. not only on a spinner, but also on an artificial fly. Like other Pacific salmon, it is most attracted to large, bright fancy lures (yellow, green, orange or pink), additionally decorated with shiny lurex. The flies should move at the bottom at a slow pace, evenly or in short bursts.
Amateur fishing for pink salmon in the Magadan region is permitted only under licenses: in the sea - with a net, and in certain areas in the lower reaches of rivers - with a spinning rod.

Gastronomic value

Pink salmon is a valuable commercial fish. Its meat is suitable for making soups, stewing, frying, salting and canning. Pink salmon caviar is also used in cooking: after salting, it is preserved. Pink salmon is especially good when salted, because when culinary processing significant part useful substances(like all red fish) disappears. Therefore, many people prefer lightly salted pink salmon – both industrially salted and home-salted. You can even salt store-bought fresh frozen carcasses yourself, especially since gutted and ungutted pink salmon, with and without heads, are available for sale. The main thing is to choose high-quality pink salmon. Pink salmon contains almost everything

e vitamins and useful elements. For example, it contains a lot of vitamin PP (nicotinic acid), which improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system. This fish also contains vitamin B12, sodium, calcium, fluorine, sulfur, phosphorus, iodine, as well as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid. Experts recommend that in order to maintain an optimal balance of essential nutrients in the body, nutrients and to prevent cardiovascular diseases, regularly eat pink salmon meat. Distinguish good fish not difficult: it is even, clean, smooth, without stains or damage, with silvery and shiny scales. In addition, quality fish should have gills that are bright or light red in color and not darkened or green. If the tail is dry and windy, then this is also a sign that the fish has been defrosted more than once. Fans of hot fish can use it not only in traditional fish soup, but also cook pink salmon on the grill, in the oven and in the microwave. Pink salmon can be stuffed (mushrooms and seafood are good fillings), and cutlets are made from it. Boiled fillet is used in salads and appetizers.

Everyone knows about the benefits of eating fish (it should be included at least once a week). True, most red varieties are quite expensive, which stops housewives from purchasing such a valuable product.

Pink salmon is one of the most common types of red fish. Therefore, you should not be upset about the high cost of gourmet varieties, because pink salmon is quite affordable and is not inferior in its properties to other more expensive varieties. It is inexpensive due to the large industrial fishery. Therefore, it may well improve your health at a low price and at the same time please your loved ones with a delicious delicacy.

Pink salmon belongs to small salmon breeds, the size of which does not reach 70 centimeters in length and weight does not exceed 2–3.5 kg.

But it is worth noting that it is pink salmon, which has the additional common name “pink salmon”, that is put in the forefront commercial fish with a high population, which makes it possible to organize its mass catch.

By appearance This type of red fish is characterized by:

The slenderness and beauty of a torpedo-shaped body;
V-shaped tail;
Complete absence of teeth;
Not a large mouth opening;
Silvery small scales;
The presence of many small dark spots on the caudal fin;
The existence of a so-called adipose fin on the back;
The ventral fin is orange in color and has a white edge.

When spawning (it occurs from July to September) in rivers, the appearance of pink salmon changes somewhat:

In the area of the back, head and sides, oval dark spots with olive-colored specks are clearly visible;
The entire body (except for the belly, which remains white or yellowish) becomes brown;
The back acquires an additional gray tint;
The fins and head do not change color, remaining black;
Males have a huge hump on their back, in the head area (but this is not to intimidate their “rivals”, but for better maneuverability in the water among a large number of fish);
The jaws lengthen and bend;
Strong teeth appear on them.

In general, during this period, pink salmon become frighteningly ugly.

Where are pink salmon found?

The main distribution area of pink salmon is quite extensive - from the mainland North America to Alaska in the north and the Sacramento Rivers in the south. Pink salmon can often be found in the cold waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. But during the spawning period it can be seen in the Mackenzie, Colville, Indigirka, Kolyma, Yana, Lena, Amur, Zeya, Sungari, Khanka, Ussuri rivers, and the Caucasian Lake Kezenoyam.

In addition, pink salmon are found in the Bering and Okhotsk Seas, on the coastal territory of Sakhalin, the Kuril and Commander Islands, near Howido and in the northern part of Hondo Island.

For spawning, pink salmon choose freshwater bodies of water with fast currents and a coarse pebble bottom.

The short lifespan (maximum 3 years; but even this information is contradictory, because pink salmon reach full maturity 20 months after escaping into the sea) of this type of fish is explained by the fact that, after laying eggs, the parents of the future fry die.

The fry themselves are “formed” only two months after the eggs are laid and remain in the rivers until they reach 3.5 cm in length. Only after this do they roll into sea water (this often happens in the spring).

For the purpose of rapid growth and maturation for laying eggs, nature has determined a “predatory” diet for pink salmon, which includes representatives of small fish, crustaceans, and fry.

Despite claims that pink salmon is a cold-loving fish, it still belongs to the most heat-loving species of the genus Oncorhynchus. That is why the area of the ocean where general temperature does not fall below five degrees Celsius.

Pink salmon composition and calorie content

Usually no one thinks about those chemical components of products that are so necessary for the human body. But even a slight deficiency can cause a special negative impact, the reason for which is difficult to even guess.

Pink salmon meat contains many necessary for a person vitamins, minerals and nutrients:

Protein fractions;
Ash products;
Fats;
Polyunsaturated omega-3 acids;
Retinol (vitamin A);
B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, cyanocobalamin, pantothenic and folic acids, niacin, choline);
Calciferol (known as vitamin D) is important for children;
Blood clotting vitamin K (or phylloquinone);
Macroelements represented by calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and iodine;
Microelements such as manganese, iron, selenium, copper and zinc.

For people, especially those who are watching their weight, it is important to know how many calories are in pink salmon. This fish has a fairly low calorie content, which is why it is popular with models and actresses.

So, 100 grams of pink salmon contains only 140 calories. Despite such a low calorie content, a dish made from this fish is filling due to its high protein content (about 60%). Due to the fact that saturation occurs quickly and digestion is slow, this means that it will not bring excess fat deposits. Nutritional value of pink salmon: fats - 6.5 g, proteins - 20.5.

The truth is this low calorie content does not apply to fried or canned pink salmon, the calorie content of which in the same 100 grams can reach up to 200 kcal.

Useful properties of pink salmon

Of great importance for the human body, and, consequently, the beneficial properties of fish, are determined by its method of preparation and the condition of the fish before cooking. Thus, frozen fish will contain less nutrients compared to fresh fish.

The saturated acids contained in the meat of this red fish help rejuvenate the body, slow down the aging process and protect cells from harmful microorganisms and their consequences. Pink salmon has a tonic effect on the body, improves mood and promotes a surge of energy.

Vitamin PP has positive influence on nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, normalizes processes and improves the performance of these systems.

Phosphorus, calcium and zinc help strengthen bones, hair and nails. These minerals strengthen the body and make bones resistant to injury.

Sodium and potassium strengthen the walls of blood vessels, improve heart function and cardiovascular system generally. In addition, these microelements help maintain water balance in the body and prevent dehydration.

Proteins are easily digested, providing the body with essential amino acids.

Eating pink salmon helps normalize metabolic processes, accelerating chemical reactions, which occur in cells and organs, including the brain.

Iodine helps with thyroid diseases. Thus, pink salmon meat is very beneficial for people with such problems.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids regulate blood sugar levels and are good antioxidants. Phosphoric acid affects chemical changes in cells, speeds up metabolism, therefore, this fish is useful for the prevention of osteoporosis.

The presence of the amino acid histidine in fish is beneficial for older people, serves as a prevention of Alzheimer's disease, and protects against destruction nerve cells and promotes the restoration of damaged tissue cells.

Fluoride protects teeth from caries, reducing the risk of developing this disease. Vitamin E strengthens the walls of blood vessels, protects against aging, and prevents the formation of premature wrinkles.

Video about the beneficial properties of pink salmon

The benefits of pink salmon for the body

Pink salmon is classified as a dietary product and is included in a lot of diets for weight loss. The benefits of eating pink salmon are:

Quick saturation of the body even with a small piece;
Slow digestion of the product;
Good protein absorption;
Improving the condition of mucous membranes and membranes;
General strengthening of the nervous system;
Helps digestive processes;
Replenishment of all body systems with vitamins and minerals in case of their deficiency;
Stabilization of glucose levels in the blood and its distribution throughout the body;
Antioxidant properties (useful not only for beauty, but also for the immune system, as well as preventing the development of cancer);
Prevention of aging of body cells;
Activation of enzyme formation;
Improving chemical cellular reactions;
Accelerating the metabolic process;
Improved mood;
Strengthening bone tissue (pink salmon is especially important during the intrauterine formation of the skeleton);
Normalization and improvement of blood composition;
Prevention of the development of atherosclerosis (or its relative treatment);
Help in the treatment of thyroid dysfunction;
Improving metabolism in brain cells;
Increased performance;
Improving memory.

Pink salmon is harmful to the body

Many point out that there are virtually no contraindications to consuming pink salmon and no harm to the body. But this is not entirely true. Therefore, people should treat dishes using pink salmon meat with caution:

Suffering from peptic ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract;
Allergic to any fish products;
Having chronic diseases liver;
With intolerance to iodine and phosphorus preparations.

Pregnant women should be careful when consuming this fish as it may cause swelling in the legs. You should not eat a lot of fish at night for the same reason, so as not to wake up the next morning with a swollen face.

How to choose pink salmon

In order for the planned pink salmon dish to truly become a masterpiece and be liked by everyone, you need to know the basic rules for choosing it:

Fresh fish can only be purchased at Far East or in places of catch, so you will have to limit yourself to the frozen version. Modern suppliers offer the buyer whole carcasses of frozen pink salmon, cut, fillets, carcasses and balyk;
for fish soup, it is better to take pink salmon with the head (it makes a tasty broth);
You shouldn’t be greedy, because ungutted fish, although cheaper, will have to be cut up yourself, and waste usually takes up a third of the total weight;
Old fish (or that were stored incorrectly) in a dish will be characterized by bitterness;
The inside of the abdomen of a “correct” pink salmon should be exclusively pink in color (without yellowness);
The gills (if the fish is not gutted) are always bright or light red in color (slimy, darkened or green - a clear sign damage);
Windiness, dryness of the tail and fins indicate repeated freezing and thawing of the fish;
The skin should not have any damage and fit tightly to the meat (otherwise, the fish is old and will have a rusty taste);
The fillet should also be pink (without whitish spots);
You don’t have to look at the eyes of frozen pink salmon; they still won’t tell you anything;
The defect of the “broken” fish also does not affect the taste (you just need to cut out the resulting bruises while it is being uploaded to the net);
But the time of catch is important, because in freshwater pink salmon loses both its appearance and taste (it is better not to take pink salmon caught during the spawning period, and only the information in the quality certificate can tell you about the moment of catching).

Find out how to choose canned pink salmon from the Test Purchase program

What is prepared from pink salmon?

Cooks never refuse to use this fish in preparing a variety of dishes. This is all due to the density of the pulp, which is convenient for the cook. After all, it can become the basis for many appetizers, main courses and soups (most often for making fish soup).

Thus, pink salmon is boiled, baked (possibly in dough), steamed, stewed, fried, salted and, of course, smoked.

Pink salmon meat is tasty and can bring certain benefits to our body. Of course, it is a little “dry” compared to its water relatives, but nevertheless, you should not exclude it from your diet.

Table nutritional value pink salmon per 100 grams

Pink salmon. Pacific pink salmon. Pink salmon fishing

Pink salmon is distinguished by small scales. In the sea, its body is painted silver; there are many small dark spots on the caudal fin. In the river, the color of pink salmon changes. Dark spots cover the back, sides and head; by the time of spawning, the head and fins become almost black, and the entire body becomes brown, except for the belly, which remains white. The body proportions of pink salmon change especially dramatically - males develop a huge hump on their back, their jaws lengthen and curve, and strong teeth grow on them. The once slender and beautiful fish becomes ugly.

Pink salmon is a relatively small salmon; it rarely reaches a length of 68 cm, but its small size is compensated by its abundance. Pink salmon is widely distributed. By American shore included in all rivers, ranging from the Sacramento River in the south to Alaska. It also enters the Arctic Ocean; pink salmon have been repeatedly recorded entering the Colville and Mackenzie rivers, and along the Asian coast into the Kolyma, Indigirka, Lena and Yana. Along the Asian coast of the Pacific Ocean, pink salmon spawn in rivers flowing into the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. There are pink salmon on the Commander and Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, Hokkaido and the northern part of Honshu. It goes south to Peter the Great Bay. It is difficult to establish the southern limit of its distribution, since pink salmon were often mixed with masu salmon.
Pink salmon do not rise very high in rivers. Thus, it enters the Amur in large quantities in June and rises to Ussuri. As a rule, pink salmon spawn in places with faster currents, where the bottom is covered with fairly large pebbles. Its eggs are large, 5.5-8 mm in diameter, but are paler in color and have a more durable shell than that of chum salmon eggs. 2-3 months after the death of the parents, fry emerge from the eggs and remain in the mound until spring. In spring they roll into the sea, reaching a length of 3-3.5 cm.
In the sea, pink salmon feed actively, and choose more high-calorie food than chum salmon. While chum salmon's food consists of more than 50% pteropods and tunicates, pink salmon prefers small fish, fry and crustaceans. Therefore, it grows and matures unusually quickly. 18 months after escaping into the sea, it returns to the rivers to lay eggs and die. True, opinions have been expressed that a significant part of pink salmon spawns in the third or fourth year of life. However, this is unlikely to be the case. Sea catches have shown that in August only a few individuals remain in the sea, for some reason late in development. Pink salmon, apparently, along with masu salmon, is the most heat-loving species in the genus Oncorhynchus. It winters in those areas of the ocean where the surface temperature does not drop below 5 °C. This circumstance, apparently, also contributes to its rapid growth.
Pink salmon catches, as a rule, fluctuate periodically. It has been established that pink salmon enter the rivers of Primorye in large quantities in odd years, in even years its progress is insignificant. In the Amur and on the western coast of Kamchatka, the opposite picture is observed - most pink salmon are caught in even-numbered years. This periodicity is explained by the two-year life cycle. If unfavorable conditions If, for example, freezing of spawning grounds or excessive fishing of spawners, reduce the number of any generation, then after 18 months it will return to the river and produce a small amount of caviar, and the consequences of this disaster will last for a number of generations. This is the simplest explanation for the cyclical nature of catches; there are others, but it is still difficult to say whether they are true. It has been noticed that the more intensively pink salmon are caught, the less sharp are the fluctuations in its cyclicity. Pink salmon is a massive fishery target. In Kamchatka, its catches account for 80% of the total salmon catch.

Pink salmon, like other Pacific salmon, have been repeatedly tried to acclimatize in other places globe, but the successes were insignificant. In 1956, transportation of Sakhalin pink salmon caviar to the rivers of the Murmansk coast began. The fry that emerged from the eggs were released into rivers flowing into the Barents and White Sea. At first, the juveniles died in the new conditions. Only when additional feeding was applied and the already grown juveniles began to be released, in 1960 pink salmon came en masse to the rivers to spawn. In the new place she became much larger and fatter. Some of the pink salmon entered the rivers of Norway to spawn, where they were called “Russian salmon.” Entries into the rivers of Iceland and Scotland were also observed. But in subsequent years, the approaches of pink salmon in the European North were irregular and mostly small. On the other side of the Atlantic, Canadians successfully transplanted pink salmon from the rivers of British Columbia to the Newfoundland area.
Pink salmon of the Magadan region
Pink salmon is the smallest and most abundant Pacific salmon. Pink salmon is not difficult to distinguish from other salmon - it has the smallest scales, at least 170 scales in the first row above the lateral line, a thin caudal peduncle, and rather large dark spots on the body and caudal fin. Usually its weight is one and a half to two kilograms. Male pink salmon, like other salmon, are larger than females and sometimes reach a weight of 4.5 kilograms. There are also very small male pink salmon, sometimes weighing only 350 grams. In years when pink salmon numbers are high, their average size and weight are somewhat less.
Pink salmon usually enter the rivers of the Magadan region from the sea in July and spawn in August. Like other salmon, pink salmon build a nest before laying eggs - scattering pebbles with its tail so that a depression is formed in the ground. This work is mainly done by females. The female lays eggs in the nest, and the male, standing sideways to her, fertilizes the eggs with milt. Then the fish continue to dig the bottom with their tail, but just above the nest, so that the current covers the eggs with a pebble mound.
The young hatch in November. At this time, the larvae continue to be in the ground and feed from the yolk sac, which resolves by May. At the end of May or beginning of June, the fry emerge from their nests and immediately slide into the sea. Pink salmon fry at this time are about 30 millimeters long and are characterized by a uniform silver color without transverse stripes.
The migration of juvenile pink salmon occurs at the very peak of the spring flood or at its decline. At this time, the fry are eaten by seagulls and predatory fish - malma, kunja, grayling, mykiss, juvenile coho salmon and masu salmon, and in the estuaries - smelt.

Pink salmon fry go far from their native shores to the northern part of the Pacific Ocean and spend there, as a rule, one year until the next summer. So the duration life cycle pink salmon, from spawning to spawning, is two years, which determines the two-year periodicity of fluctuations in its numbers. In different decades, pink salmon are more numerous in even and odd years.
The spawning run of pink salmon is spectacular. Splashes are visible throughout the river, like other salmon, pink salmon moving against the current move near the bottom, but often come to the surface. At the same time, it can jump out of the water, but more often it just shows its head and back. A lot of fish also move near the shore, at a depth of 25-50 centimeters. Often they move in wake columns, one directly following the other. Each such column in small places leaves behind a furrow located along the shore, carved into the pebbles by the tails of fish.
At this time, many fish-eating birds - seagulls and eagles - appear near the rivers. Bears from the surrounding mountains descend into the valleys and wander along the channels, trying to pick up fish with their claws. Even seals can leave the sea and, following schools of salmon, move up rivers, sometimes rising tens or hundreds of kilometers.
After entering fresh water, pink salmon quickly lose their color, acquiring a brown-white-green color. In males, in addition, the jaws, especially the upper ones, are greatly lengthened and bent, and a high, flat hump grows. This is where the fish got its name.
Pink salmon does not have a clear homing - home instinct, that is, the ability to return exactly to the river where it hatched from eggs, like salmon, and usually sticks to the same group of rivers.
Pink salmon use channel-type spawning grounds; their nests are located mainly on reaches with a pebble bottom in the middle reaches of rivers. In years with a large number of pink salmon, the spawning grounds are overcrowded, and later-breeding fish often dig up already laid eggs when building nests.
In the Magadan region, pink salmon take well on large bright oscillating spoons with tees No. 8.5-10. Heavy baits are needed, weighing 20-40 grams, since fishing is carried out in fast currents. Pink salmon are caught much less frequently on rotating spoons. An oscillating spoon should not rotate when retrieving, so elongated lures with sluggish action are most suitable, preferably with a curved longitudinal profile. Decorating the tee with bright threads, feathers or strips of soft plastic also helps - this not only improves the performance of the bait, but also increases the number of bites. The most attractive colors for all salmon are orange, red and bright blue.

Pink salmon in the river move unevenly, but as if in jerks - they quickly pass through the riffle, and then settle for some time in places with more slow flow. The fisherman must be able to “read the river” - guess the deeper places of the rifts, areas with a sharp change in depth, and submerged snags. In such places or directly below them, a slow current or countercurrent is most often created, which attracts fish. Targeted fishing of such points is much more effective than combing the entire area of the reach with a spoon. In addition, to successfully catch salmon with a spinning rod, you need to be able to move the spoon in close proximity to the bottom.
On deep reaches with a current, the cast must be made obliquely - up against the current, otherwise the bait will remain in the surface layers of the water. Then they begin to slowly rotate the reel - you want the spinner to play near the bottom, turning in an arc. As the bait approaches the shore, the reeling speed can be slightly increased. Of course, the spinner should not drag along the bottom when reeling. One of the methods of bottom fishing is leading the spoon with ledges - after several turns of the reel, a pause is made, the duration of which depends on the depth, current speed and weight of the bait.
A pink salmon bite is usually felt as a slight, often double jerk or blow to the spoon; after hooking it strongly resists. Pink salmon is one of the strongest and fastest fish; its females do not become weaker even in breeding plumage. Once hooked, they suddenly rush from side to side, make beautiful “candles”, jumping out of the water, and therefore get off the hook more often. Males, on the contrary, quickly lose weight in the river, become flat and lose speed. Having taken the lure, they most often pull the line strongly and almost without jerking. The feeling on a spinning rod is approximately the same - a powerful pull directed downstream and away from the shore.
Pink salmon are caught not only with spoons, but also with artificial flies. Like other Pacific salmon, it is most attracted to large, bright fancy baits, yellow, green, orange or pink flowers, additionally decorated with shiny lurex. The flies should move at the bottom at a slow pace, evenly or in short bursts.

Fishing is always great, especially if the exciting process ends with a long-awaited catch. Going for valuable trophies, both professional fishermen and amateurs dream of catching one of the most common representatives of the salmon family - pink salmon. What does pink salmon fish look like, how do the seasons affect it, when does pink salmon spawn, and what kind of gear should be used to return with the desired prey?

Of the entire huge family, it is the fish of this species that is the smallest representative in size - it rarely grows more than 40 cm. The weight is also not impressive - it does not exceed 2-5 kg, but there is information that a successful fisherman caught a trophy specimen weighing 12 kg. You can meet the sea beauty not only in salt waters - not so long ago it was released into freshwater lakes, where it successfully took root.

The color varies depending on the location: while the fish is in the cold waters of the ocean, it has a gray tint with a blue tint. , which usually occurs in nearby rivers, becomes lighter. The belly color is white, but when pink salmon migrate to fresh waters, becomes yellowish. The scales are very small and can be easily removed.

The fins are short, and there is also a “fatty” fin, which is rare for this species of fish. The head is slightly elongated, ending in a wide mouth. The description can end with a distinctive feature, which gave rise to the name. Pink salmon received it thanks to males - they, unlike females, have a large hump on their backs. Interestingly, the hump begins to grow only after being sent to spawn, in fresh river waters.

The characteristics of the predator are similar, but there are a few differences. The comparison is often made to pink salmon, another popular and numerous member of the family. What is the difference between chum salmon and pink salmon? Main differences:

size (chum salmon is larger);
coloring;
caviar size (in pink salmon it is smaller);
habits of the fry (chum salmon babies immediately go to the ocean after birth, while pink salmon’s young remain in river reservoirs until they grow up);
both chum salmon and pink salmon have beneficial properties, but differ in taste (pink salmon meat is tougher, with a large number calories).

Another distinguishing feature is that due to the prevalence of the fish, its cost is much lower than other varieties, despite the fact that pink salmon and salmon are the same family.

Where does it live, the main diet of fish

Pink salmon is an inhabitant of the depths of the Pacific or Arctic Ocean. The family goes to the rivers to spawn. Both in fresh waters and in salt waters, it tries to stay near the surface, avoiding great depths and holes.

Photo 1. Pink salmon go to rivers to spawn.

Interesting! IN depths of the sea Pink salmon no longer return because after spawning they stop feeding. Having laid eggs, the fish dies - spawning time turns out to be the last stage of a short life.

The diet of the valuable family consists of fry, young small fish, crustaceans. Since fish grow quickly, they need a lot of food, so pink salmon go hunting at any time of the day. Thanks to this feature, even a novice fisherman can successfully catch a predator.

Peculiarities of predator behavior in different seasons of the year

Photo 2. In wedding attire.

Pink salmon is a fish that spends most of its life in migration. In winter and autumn he prefers to stay in sea waters. At the age of two years, it goes to spawn, which occurs in the month of August (in Russia, the time of spawning may vary - in Kamchatka it begins in July, in Sakhalin - in June). During a long journey, females and males lose caution, feed heavily, and become easy prey for fishermen and animals eagerly awaiting a school of fish at the mouths of rivers.

Interesting! Until now, even scientists cannot find an explanation for the fact that pink salmon return to spawn in the river where they were born. There are many hypotheses - the predator senses a familiar smell, the bottom (its features), the consistency or composition of the water.

Having reached their goal, the fish prepare to lay eggs. The female digs a small hole with her fins, after fertilization lays eggs in it, and then, together with the male, covers the nest with sand and stones.

It takes about three months for the fry to appear, but young fish are in no hurry to go to salty bodies of water. Only with the arrival of spring (by this period pink salmon grow up to 3 cm) do the fry migrate in large schools to the sea. The path is long and difficult - most of the river and sea creatures hunt young fish. Until next year, pink salmon feed heavily, after which they return along the already familiar path to breed and die.

Catching pink salmon: when to go hunting for a valuable predator, and what gear is best to use

You can catch pink salmon in the river only before spawning (it is found there from spring to mid-summer), and it is easy to catch both with spinning and fishing rods. The bait is usually red caviar, rolled into a tight rope. The type of spinners used to catch a predator is preferably a bright one. reacts poorly, preferring to swim past.

Important! You can simply make the bait more attractive to pink salmon - just attach it to a spoon:

bright feathers;
threads;
strips of multi-colored plastic.

The preferred color that representatives of the salmon family actively go for is bright blue, purple, and orange.

The peculiarity of the bite of males is that the bite is fast, sometimes almost not felt. After hooking, there are few jerks - often only 1-2. Pink salmon may jump out of the water several times, but this rarely happens. It is much more difficult to catch a female; once hooked, she begins to rush around wildly, often breaking down.

During spawning, it is impossible to catch a predator with a fishing rod or spinning rod - the fish completely stops feeding and does not respond to bait. You can use nets or a tee (the so-called cat), but this type of fishing is prohibited by law and is punishable as poaching.

Photo 3. Fly fishing is a catchy method for pink salmon.

Pink salmon caught before spawning is of great value - the meat is elastic and has excellent taste. After spawning, the fish becomes loose and tough; it can only be used in cooking as minced meat. It is rarely caught at this time.

Catching pink salmon is an entertaining process, and with the onset summer period Hundreds of professionals and amateurs go hunting for valuable prey. It doesn’t matter whether luck smiled, because the most important thing in fishing is to relax your soul and body, enjoying every minute.