# Chinook salmon (*Oncorhynchus tshawytscha*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/chinook-salmon  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is a bony fish in the family Salmonidae, subfamily Salmoninae, and order Salmoniformes. It is a large fish, with a representative adult body mass of 61.4 kg and a body length from 70 cm to 1.5 m, with a representative value of 1.1 m. Its main food is terrestrial insects, and its habitats are freshwater, marine and riverine. Other English names for it are Tyee, Chinook, King salmon, Tyee salmon and Spring salmon, and its lifespan is up to 9 years.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 61.4 kg |
| Length | 70 cm – 1.5 m |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 9 years |
| Main food | terrestrial insects |
| Habitat | freshwater, marine, riverine |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Teleostei
- order: Salmoniformes
- family: Salmonidae
- genus: Oncorhynchus
- species: *Oncorhynchus tshawytscha* (Walbaum, 1792)

Synonyms: *Fario argyreus*, *Oncorhynchus chouicha*, *Oncorhynchus cooperi*, *Oncorhynchus tschawytscha*, *Oncorhynchus tshawytsha*, *Salmo cooperi*, *Salmo orientalis*, *Salmo quinnat*, *Salmo richardi*, *Salmo richardii*, *Salmo tschawytscha*, *Salmo tschawytscha*, *Salmo tshawytscha*, *Salmo warreni*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the chinook salmon?

The chinook salmon is a bony fish in the family Salmonidae and the order Salmoniformes.

### How big is a chinook salmon?

The chinook salmon has a representative body length of 1.1 m, with reported values from 70 cm to 1.5 m. Its representative adult body mass is 61.4 kg.

### What does the chinook salmon eat?

The main food of the chinook salmon is terrestrial insects.

### What habitats does the chinook salmon live in?

The chinook salmon lives in freshwater, marine and riverine habitats.

### How long does a chinook salmon live?

The chinook salmon has a lifespan of up to 9 years.

### What is the scientific name of the chinook salmon?

The scientific name of the chinook salmon is Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, with the authority (Walbaum, 1792).

### What are other names for the chinook salmon?

Other English names for the chinook salmon are Tyee, Chinook, King salmon, Tyee salmon and Spring salmon.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/chinook-salmon