Juvenile Salmonid and Small Fish Identification

This aid was developed to assist staff in the field identification of juvenile salmonids and other small fishes commonly caught during field sampling of freshwater streams and lakes. Juvenile Salmonid and Small Fish Identification Aid Juvenile salmon sketches were adapted from sketches by the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Aquatic Education Program. Photos are from ADF&G, USFS and CIAA file archives as well as personal collections.

Special thanks goes out to all who contributed:

Mike Anderson Joe Buckwalter Tom Cappiello Cathy Cline Jack Dean Fred DeCicco Samantha Greenwood Bill Hauser Susie Hayes ADF&G Doug Hill Frances Inoue Habitat & Restoration Division Betsy McCracken Cecil Rich Version 1.1 Stewart Seaberg March 27, 2003 Mike Wiedmer Compiled by Ed Weiss

Adipose No spots CHINOOK has “clear CHINOOK window” melanofores on outer edge

Parr marks even across Anal fin: lateral line & wider than ≥ 13 rays, interspaces Not sickle shaped ADF&G (leading edge longer than base)

FL 52mm

ADF&G

FL 48mm

ADF&G FL 54mm FL 43mm ADF&G Chinook Coho No spots COHO COHO Parr marks even across Adipose lateral line & narrower melanofores thru out. than interspaces No “clear window”

ADF&G Anal fin: ≥ 13 rays, sickle shaped (leading edge longer than base), black/white leading edge

ADF&G FL 51mm Coho smolt ADF&G mm

FL 48mm ADF&G FL 43mm Chinook parr Coho parr ADF&G

CHUM PINK No parr marks. Dorsal surface green.

Small 2-3 cm, leaves Small 3-4 cm, leaves freshwater as fry Faint parr marks above freshwater as fry Ventral & sides silver. lateral line

ADF&G ADF&G ADF&G

ADF&G ADF&G

ADF&G FL 39mm SOCKEYE SOCKEYE

FL 47mm

Cappiello Parr marks staggered FL 50mm

across lateral line FL 51mm FL 32mm

ADF&G ADF&G Parr Fry

FL 40mm ADF&G Fry CIAA Smolt

CUTTHROAT CUTTHROAT

USFS

USFS USFS

USFS

RAINBOW / STEELHEAD RAINBOW / STEELHEAD

Red lateral line

ADF&G ADF&G FL 31mm ADF&G

Rainbow Trout Dolly Varden ADF&G FL 44mm

Abundant Sm. Parr marks Light spots on DOLLY VARDEN irregular, width > DOLLY VARDEN dark background. interspaces. FL 110mm

Dark pigment Thick caudal inside mouth peduncle ADF&G

• P. cecae = 21 – 39 (30). Gill Rakers 15 – 23. • Anadromous dominant type but also lake or stream residents, usually a stream spawner • In spawning, paired fins red/black with white leading edge, lower body red, orange or pink.

FL 47mm

ADF&G

ADF&G ADF&G

ADF&G FL 75mm

Fewer larger Parr marks Light spots on ARCTIC CHAR irregular, width > ARCTIC CHAR dark background. interspaces. Arctic Char

White inside mouth Thin caudal peduncle • P. cecae = 30 – 64 (45). Gill Rakers 21 – 27. • No known anadromous populations in AK. • Lake spawner/resident, sometimes moving into streams. • In spawning, paired fins red/black with white leading edge, Dolly lower body red or gold. Spots red or orange. Varden DeCicco

DeCicco

J. Dean

DeCicco

Arctic Char

ARCTIC GRAYLING ARCTIC GRAYLING

FL 53mm

ADF&G

DeCicco

ADF&G

DeCicco

FL 202mm ALASKA BLACKFISH BURBOT

FL mm

ADF&G

ADF&G FL 126mm

SLIMY SCULPIN COAST RANGE SCULPIN

ADF&G

FL 93mm ADF&G

Cappiello

FL 93mm

Cappiello

ADF&G 9 SPINE STICKLEBACK 3 SPINE STICKLEBACK

FL 57mm ADF&G

ADF&G FL 52mm

Cappiello

LONGNOSE SUCKER

FL 59mm

ADF&G

Cappiello SALMON – Parr Trout - Parr

Rainbow

Chinook

Cutthroat Cutthroat Coho Coho

Dolly Varden

Sockeye Sockeye

Char Arctic Arctic Pink

Chum

SALMON - Adult SALMON – Adult Spawning

Chinook Chinook

Coho Coho

Sockeye Sockeye Sockeye

Pink Pink Pink

Chum Chum

Bibliography Pacific Northwest. NOAA Technical Report NMFS CIRC- 366. Seattle, WA.

Burger, Carl V. 1983. Salmon Investigations in the Kenai McPhail, J.D. and C.C. Lindsey, 1970. Freshwater Fishes of River, Alaska. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Alaska Field Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Bulletin 173. Fisheries Station, Anchorage, Alaska. Research Board of Canada, Ottawa. pp. 129-135.

Dean, Jack. 2002. Personal Communication. Meehan, William R. and John S. Vania, 1961. An External

Characteristic to Differentiate between King and Silver Dean, Jack. July 22, 2002 letter to Cooper Landing Fish & Salmon Juveniles in Alaska. Informational Leaflet No. 1. Game Advisory Committee. Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Juneau, AK.

DeCicco, Fred. 2002. Personal Communication. Morrow, James E., 1980. The Freshwater Fishes of Alaska.

Alaska Northwest Publishing Co., Anchorage, AK. Ellis, Derek V. 1977. Pacific Salmon: Management for

People. Western Geographical Series, Volume 13. Pollard, W.R., et al, 1997. Field Identification of Coastal University of Victoria, Victoria, BC. Pp. 307 – 315. Juvenile Salmonids. Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, BC.

Hastie, Bill, and Pattie Farthing Bowers. 1997. The Fish Trautman, Milton B., 1973. A Guide to the Collection and Hatchery Next Door, an Educators Guide. Oregon Identification of Presmolt Pacific Salmon in Alaska with an Department of Fish & Wildlife, Portland, OR. Illustrated Key. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS

ABFL-2. Seattle, WA. Hauser, Bill. May 17, 2001

Weidlich, Laurie M. 1986. Game Fishes of Alaska”. Alaska Hayes, Susie. 2002. Personal Communication. Department of Fish & Game. Public Communication

Section, Juneau, AK. McConnell, Robert J., and George R. Snyder, 1972. Key to

Field Identification of Anadromous Juvenile Salmonids in the