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Chum Salmon
spawn in the lowermost reaches of rivers and streams,
typically within 100 km of the ocean. They migrate almost
immediately after hatching to estuarine and ocean waters,
in contrast to Coho, Chinook, Sockeye, Pink Salmon, Steelhead
and Cutthroat Trout, which migrate to sea after months
or even years in fresh water. This means that survival
and growth in juvenile Chum Salmon depend less on freshwater
conditions (unlike stream-type salmonids which depend
heavily on freshwater habitats) than on favorable estuarine
and marine conditions. Another behavioral difference between
Chum Salmon and most species that rear extensively in
fresh water is that Chum Salmon form schools, presumably
to reduce predation. Age at maturity appears to follow
a latitudinal trend in which a greater number of older
fish occur in the northern portion of the species’
range. Most Chum Salmon mature between 3 and 5 years of
age, with 60 to 90 percent of the fish maturing at 4 years
of age. The species has only a single form (sea-run) and
does not reside in fresh water.
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