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Nature

Pink Salmon

What is pink salmon?

· James MacDonald

Key facts

Scientific name Oncorhynchus gorbuscha[1]
Common name Pink salmon[1]
Alternative name Humpback salmon[2]
Family Salmonidae[1]
Type Anadromous fish[4]

Pink salmon is a species of Pacific salmon, scientifically known as Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, and is also called humpback salmon or humpy. It is the smallest and most abundant Pacific salmon, found on both sides of the North Pacific.

Context

Pink salmon, also known as humpback salmon or humpy, is a species of Pacific salmon with the scientific name Oncorhynchus gorbuscha [1]. They are the smallest and most abundant Pacific salmon, found on both sides of the North Pacific [3]. Spawning males develop a hump on their back, giving them the alternative name [2]. Pink salmon are anadromous, hatching in freshwater and migrating to the ocean [4].

Documented claims

  • Pink salmon are the smallest Pacific salmon found in North America. [3]
  • Pink salmon are the most abundant Pacific salmon. [3]
  • Pink salmon have been harvested and canned commercially in Alaska since the late 1800s. [3]

Questions and answers

Is pink salmon a good salmon?

Pink salmon is a good salmon for eating, with pale pink meat, and is commonly used as food [4]. It is also commercially harvested in Alaska [3].

Why is pink salmon so cheap?

Pink salmon is often cheaper because it is the most abundant Pacific salmon, making it more plentiful and less expensive than other species [3].

Which is healthier, red or pink salmon?

The sources do not compare the health benefits of red and pink salmon, so no definitive answer is provided.

Sources

  1. Fast Facts — adfg.alaska.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Pink Salmon — fisheries.noaa.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Pink Salmon - Glacier Bay — nps.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. pink salmon — dictionary.cambridge.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Nature