Sockeye salmon (
Oncorhynchus nerka), also called
red salmon or
blueback salmon, is an
anadromous species of
salmon found in the
Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it. This species is a
Pacific salmon that is primarily red in hue during spawning. They can grow up to 84 cm in length and weigh 2.3 to 7 kg.
Juveniles remain in
freshwater until they are ready to
migrate to the
ocean, over distances of up to 1,600 km. Their diet consists primarily of
zooplankton. Sockeye salmon are
semelparous, dying after they
spawn. Some populations, referred to as kokanee, do not migrate to the ocean and live their entire lives in fresh water.