King-of-the-salmon
Encyclopedia
King-of-the-salmon, Trachipterus altivelis, is a species of ribbonfish
in the family
Trachipteridae. Its common name
comes from the legends of the Makah people west of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
, which hold that this fish leads the salmon
annually to their spawning grounds. Catching or eating king-of-the-salmon was forbidden, as it was feared killing one would stop the salmon run
. This myth is reflected by a former specific epithet used for this fish, rex-salmonorum, rex being Latin
for "king". The king-of-the-salmon is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean
from Alaska
to Chile
. It is usually found in the open ocean to a depth of 900 meters (2,950 ft), though adults sometimes feed on the sea bottom.
This species attains a known length of 1.83 meters (6 ft), though larger specimens have been reported. It has an elongated, ribbon-shaped body with a long dorsal fin
running along its entire length. The dorsal fin is highest in the front and contains 165-184 soft rays. The pectoral fins are small and rounded, the pelvic fins are greatly reduced, and the anal fin is absent. The dorsal lobe of the caudal fin, containing 7-8 rays, points upward at a 45° angle to the body axis, while the ventral lobe is reduced to 5-6 spines. The eye
s are large and the mouth
is small but highly protrusible. The fish is silver with crimson-colored fins; the area above the eye is blackish. The king-of-the-salmon is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean
from Alaska
to Chile
. It is usually found in the open ocean to a depth of 900 meters (2,950 ft), though adults sometimes feed on the sea bottom.
Reproduction is oviparous, with pelagic eggs
and larva
e. Spawning appears to take place year-round with no specific peak. In the Northern Hemisphere
, the density of the eggs is greatest towards the southern extents of its range, suggesting a relationship between spawning and warmer water temperatures. The eggs measure 2.6-3.7 mm (0.1-0.15 in) in diameter. The juveniles have longer fins than the adults, especially the first 5 rays of the dorsal fin and the pelvic fins, which are elongated with rows of pigmented swellings. Juvenile coloration is silvery with red fins and 3-5 dark blotches on the sides above the lateral line
.
Large king-of-the-salmon feed on copepod
s, krill
, small pelagic fish
es, young rockfish
es, squid
, and octopus
, while small individuals feed on copepods, polychaete worms, and fish larvae. Off the coast of Oregon
, juveniles have different diets depending on habitat
. Offshore juveniles feed mainly on the hyperiid amphipod Phronima
, also taking small numbers of other amphipods, copepods, and free-floating fish scale
s. Inshore juveniles feed mainly on copepods and fish larvae. Known predators of small king-of-the-salmon include the bigeye thresher shark
(Alopias superciliosus) and the longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox). This species is occasionally encountered while trolling
for salmon, in nets, or washed up on the shore.
Ribbonfish
The ribbonfish are any lampriform in the family Trachipteridae. These pelagic fish are named for their slim, ribbon-like appearance. They are rarely seen alive as they typically live in deep waters ....
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Trachipteridae. Its common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
comes from the legends of the Makah people west of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
, which hold that this fish leads the salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
annually to their spawning grounds. Catching or eating king-of-the-salmon was forbidden, as it was feared killing one would stop the salmon run
Salmon run
The salmon run is the time at which salmon swim back up the rivers in which they were born to spawn. All Pacific salmon die after spawning. While most Atlantic salmon die after their first spawn, about 5-10% return to the sea to feed between spawnings. The annual run is a major event for sport...
. This myth is reflected by a former specific epithet used for this fish, rex-salmonorum, rex being Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "king". The king-of-the-salmon is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean
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...
from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It is usually found in the open ocean to a depth of 900 meters (2,950 ft), though adults sometimes feed on the sea bottom.
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
running along its entire length. The dorsal fin is highest in the front and contains 165-184 soft rays. The pectoral fins are small and rounded, the pelvic fins are greatly reduced, and the anal fin is absent. The dorsal lobe of the caudal fin, containing 7-8 rays, points upward at a 45° angle to the body axis, while the ventral lobe is reduced to 5-6 spines. The eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
s are large and the mouth
Mouth
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....
is small but highly protrusible. The fish is silver with crimson-colored fins; the area above the eye is blackish. The king-of-the-salmon is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean
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...
from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It is usually found in the open ocean to a depth of 900 meters (2,950 ft), though adults sometimes feed on the sea bottom.
Reproduction is oviparous, with pelagic eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
and larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e. Spawning appears to take place year-round with no specific peak. In the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, the density of the eggs is greatest towards the southern extents of its range, suggesting a relationship between spawning and warmer water temperatures. The eggs measure 2.6-3.7 mm (0.1-0.15 in) in diameter. The juveniles have longer fins than the adults, especially the first 5 rays of the dorsal fin and the pelvic fins, which are elongated with rows of pigmented swellings. Juvenile coloration is silvery with red fins and 3-5 dark blotches on the sides above the lateral line
Lateral line
The lateral line is a sense organ in aquatic organisms , used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
.
Large king-of-the-salmon feed on copepod
Copepod
Copepods are a group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. Some species are planktonic , some are benthic , and some continental species may live in limno-terrestrial habitats and other wet terrestrial places, such as swamps, under leaf fall in wet forests,...
s, krill
Krill
Krill is the common name given to the order Euphausiacea of shrimp-like marine crustaceans. Also known as euphausiids, these small invertebrates are found in all oceans of the world...
, small pelagic fish
Pelagic fish
Pelagic fish live near the surface or in the water column of coastal, ocean and lake waters, but not on the bottom of the sea or the lake. They can be contrasted with demersal fish, which do live on or near the bottom, and reef fish which are associated with coral reefs.The marine pelagic...
es, young rockfish
Sebastes
Sebastes is a genus of fish in the family Sebastidae , most of which have the common name of rockfish. Most of the world's almost 110 Sebastes species live in the north Pacific, although two live in the south Pacific/Atlantic and four Sebastes is a genus of fish in the family Sebastidae (though...
es, squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, and octopus
Octopus
The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
, while small individuals feed on copepods, polychaete worms, and fish larvae. Off the coast of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, juveniles have different diets depending on habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
. Offshore juveniles feed mainly on the hyperiid amphipod Phronima
Phronima
Phronima is a small, deep sea hyperiid amphipod of the family Phronimidae. It is found throughout the world's oceans, except in polar regions. The body of Phronima is transparent. Females attack salps, using their mouth and claws to eat the animal and hollow out its gelatinous shell. She then...
, also taking small numbers of other amphipods, copepods, and free-floating fish scale
Fish scale
Fish scale may refer to:* The rigid plates on the skin of a fish* Fishscale, an album by Ghostface Killah* Fishscale cocaine* Fish Scales, a rapper...
s. Inshore juveniles feed mainly on copepods and fish larvae. Known predators of small king-of-the-salmon include the bigeye thresher shark
Bigeye thresher
The bigeye thresher is a species of thresher shark, family Alopiidae, found in temperate and tropical oceans worldwide. Like other thresher sharks, nearly half its total length consists of the elongated upper lobe of the tail fin. Its common name comes from its enormous eyes, which are placed in...
(Alopias superciliosus) and the longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox). This species is occasionally encountered while trolling
Troll (angling)
Trolling is a method of fishing where one or more fishing lines, baited with lures or bait fish, are drawn through the water. This may be behind a moving boat, or by slowly winding the line in when fishing from a static position, or even sweeping the line from side-to-side, e.g. when fishing from...
for salmon, in nets, or washed up on the shore.