Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

pink salmon

fish
Also known as: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, humpback salmon

pink salmon, (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), North Pacific food fish, family Salmonidae, weighing about 2 kilograms (4 1/2 pounds) and marked with large, irregular spots. It often spawns on tidal flats, the young entering the sea immediately after hatching. The alternative name humpback salmon refers to the hump that develops on the back of the breeding male. See also salmon.