How many types of Pacific salmon are there?

Asked by: Courtney Hughes

What kind of salmon are in the Pacific?

There are seven species of Pacific salmon. Five of them occur in North American waters: chinook, coho, chum, sockeye, and pink. Masu and amago salmon occur only in Asia.

What is the best Pacific salmon?

Chinook Salmon



The Chinook can grow to the size of a human–more than 100 pounds–and also bears the highest fat content of all the five Pacific salmon species. It is generally considered the most delicious, and its secondary name–the king salmon–is absolutely appropriate in more ways than one.

What type of salmon are in the Pacific Northwest?

Chinook, Coho, Chum, Pink, and Sockeye are the five species of Pacific Salmon that inhabit many of the Pacific Northwest National Forests. National Forests in Oregon and Washington provide approximately 50% of the spawning and rearing habitat for these fish.

Are there 5 main types of salmon?

Here are the five major Pacific salmon varieties, listed in order of richness:

• King (chinook). The lushest fresh salmon, king is the highest in fat and usually the most expensive, prized for its silken, melting texture, which is almost like smoked salmon.
• Sockeye (red). …
• Coho (silver). …
• Pink (humpback). …
• Chum (dog).

Is all Pacific salmon wild?

There are many different types of salmon — specifically, five types of Pacific salmon and two types of Atlantic salmon. These days, Atlantic salmon is typically farmed, while Pacific salmon species are primarily wild-caught.

What is the best tasting salmon?

Chinook Salmon/King Salmon



Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha), also known as King salmon, is considered by many to be the best-tasting of the salmon bunch. They have a high-fat content and corresponding rich flesh that ranges from white to a deep red color.

What is the most expensive salmon?

King Salmon

King Salmon (aka Chinook Salmon)



The one downside: It’s usually the most expensive salmon you’ll find at the fishmonger—but honestly, it’s money well spent. King Salmon from Alaska is Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certified sustainable.

What is the healthiest salmon to buy?

Wild-caught Pacific salmon are typically considered to be the healthiest salmon.



The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says that there are five main types of Pacific salmon:

• Chum or dog salmon.
• Coho or silver salmon.
• Chinook or king salmon.
• Pink or humpy salmon.
• Sockeye salmon.

Which salmon is better Atlantic or Pacific?

Atlantic and Pacific salmon belong to the same family of fish but have different genera, making them separate species. While the Pacific chinook salmon is bigger than the Atlantic salmon, it is the wild Atlantic salmon that tends to taste better than the Pacific salmon types.

Is Pacific salmon the same as Alaskan salmon?

One of the more obvious differences between these two salmon is their habitation. Atlantic salmon are larger in size and are from the Atlantic Ocean, while Pacific Salmon are from the Pacific Ocean.

Which country has the best salmon?

Scottish salmon topped the poll with seven votes, Norway was second with six and Canada was third with two.

Is king salmon the best?

There’s a reason this species is at the top of the list and earned itself the royal moniker: King salmon is considered by many to be the best salmon money can buy. It’s rich, high in fat, and big. The average weight of a King salmon is 40 pounds, but they can weigh as much as 135-pounds or as little as 20-something.

Where does Costco salmon come from?

Wild Salmon



In Alaska, the sustainable management of salmon is protected by the Alaska State Constitution and serves as a model for continuous improvement of sustainable seafood production. Costco supplier Trident Seafoods maintains full ownership and control of the Alaskan salmon it provides to Costco.

Is a chinook salmon the same as a king salmon?

Chinook salmon are anadromous—they hatch in freshwater streams and rivers then migrate out to the saltwater environment of the ocean to feed and grow. Chinook salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon, hence the name “king salmon.”

What is Chilean salmon?

Chile is the world’s second-largest producer of farmed salmon (32 percent of global production), and 50 percent of Chile’s farmed salmon is rated Avoid by Seafood Watch. Importantly, Chile is the largest exporter of farmed salmon to the U.S. — the U.S. gets half of its salmon from Chile.

Is Costco salmon wild or farmed?

Costco has both Farm Raised and Wild Caught salmon. The Atlantic Salmon, both fresh and frozen, is Farm Raised. The industrial farming of salmon is a complicated issue but, in general, the ocean based open net style farms used for mass production of salmon is considered non-sustainable and bad for the environment.

What is wrong with salmon from Chile?

The company suggests avoiding farmed Atlantic salmon from Chile. One of the biggest concerns of salmon farming in Chile is the high levels of antibiotics and pesticides used to fight diseases and parasites in the net pens. In 2014, the industry used 1.2 million pounds of antibiotics in their marine enclosures.

Which country has the best farm raised salmon?

Farm-raised salmon from Norway is able to have much more control to prevent disease and mortality. Seafood from Norway is all about sustainability. Since fishing had been part of their heritage for more than 2,000 years, taking care of the sea for the next generation is part of their culture.

Where does Aldi’s get their salmon from?

Seafood.” due to the fact that Aldi reportedly sources its Salmon from Chile, a country out of line with international environmental fishing standards and that uses toxic chemicals while raising live fish.

Why is Norwegian salmon toxic?

Norwegian farmed salmon is particularly blamed. Known for several years as highly polluted, it contains more heavy metals than natural fish and is also contaminated by an insecticide used to treat parasites: diflubenzuron. This substance is highly toxic to aquatic organisms.

Is Trader Joe’s salmon farm-raised?

Product Description: Trader Joe’s Fresh Atlantic Salmon is a solid farm-raised fresh fish option in the refrigerated case of Trader Joe’s. If you are looking for a quick and easy dinner and aren’t near a solid fish market then this is one of the best farm-raised salmon I’ve tried. For some, only wild will cut it.

How can you tell if salmon is farmed?

Farmed salmon has a pale orangey color that always reminds me of a creamsicle wild salmon has a more intense.

Which is better coho or sockeye?

Both wild sockeye and coho are lean machines, with coho being the leaner of the two. A 6-ounce fillet of sockeye has about 15 grams of fat, while coho packs about 9 grams; both species are rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids that are prized by health nuts and underconsumed by the average person.

Can you eat salmon raw?

Yes. Raw salmon is a popular ingredient in many dishes all over the world — sushi, for example, is notable for its raw salmon offerings like sashimi. If you’re ever in the Nordic regions of the world, you can enjoy a hearty raw salmon, salt, sugar, and dill appetizer called gravlax. But raw salmon is still raw.

Are there worms in salmon?

The parasites, anisakid nematodes, sometimes called herring worms or cod worms, are among the most common parasites found in fish and the majority of wild salmon are infected, said Michael Gänzle, Canada Research Chair in food microbiology and probiotics at the University of Alberta.

Do you wash salmon?

You rinse the salmon.



The USDA cautions: “do not rinse raw fish, seafood, meat, and poultry. Bacteria in these raw juices can splash and spread to other foods and surfaces. Cooking foods thoroughly will kill harmful bacteria.”