Pink salmon have tiny scales. In the ocean, they have silver bodies with spotted backs. Pinks are also the smallest of the Pacific salmon, usually weighing about 2.2 kg, but occasionally reaching 5.5 kg. They live to be two years old. The mouth of a pink salmon is white, but the gums are black, similar to Chinook. Pinks do not have “teeth” on the tongue. Pink salmon have a V-shaped tail covered with large oval spots. Unlike the other salmon species, the tail of a pink has no silver on it. In the early adult stage, pink salmon are often mistaken for Chinook because both have spots on their tails.

Did you know… Pink salmon spawn in the main stems of large rivers and some tributaries, often very close to saltwater, because their fry move directly to sea after emerging