Which Pacific salmon is also called sockeye?

Which Pacific salmon is also called sockeye? Red salmon is another common name for sockeye salmon.

Sockeye salmon is the Pacific salmon species Oncorhynchus nerka. It is native to the North Pacific and the rivers and lakes that drain into it. The name “red salmon” refers to the striking transformation many adults undergo when they return from the ocean to spawn: their bodies become bright red and their heads turn green. While at sea, they are typically blue-silver rather than red.

Sockeye have an unusual dependence on lakes compared with some other Pacific salmon. Many juveniles spend one or two years in freshwater lakes before migrating to the ocean, then return to their natal waters to reproduce. Landlocked populations that remain in freshwater are called kokanee. Like most Pacific salmon, sockeye are semelparous, meaning they generally die after spawning once.

They are also distinctive feeders. Sockeye consume large amounts of zooplankton in both freshwater and marine stages, and their long, serrated gill rakers help strain these small organisms. “Sockeye” is derived from suk-kegh, a Halkomelem term meaning “red fish,” while “blueback” is another historical common name.