Is Atlantic salmon dyed?
Farmed Atlantic salmon get their color from feed that is enhanced with dyes. These dyes are derived from a carotenoid called astaxanthin. Since farmed Atlantic salmon are primarily fed corn and soy, astaxanthin must be added to the feed to give the salmon a pink color. If farmed Atlantic salmon were not fed these dyes, they would be gray — which isn’t marketable to consumers, because we wouldn’t be able to recognize these fillets as salmon. When buying feed, farmers actually use a color wheel to determine what hue they want their salmon to be when they mature.
It’s important to note that astaxanthin is naturally found in shrimp and krill in the wild, and it is what gives wild sockeye their color, too. However, some salmon farms use synthetically derived astaxanthin to ensure that Atlantic salmon appears pink enough by the time they go to market.
Landlocked populations
Some sockeye salmon populations are completely landlocked. Sockeye that live and reproduce in lakes are commonly called kokanee, which is red-fish name in the Sinixt Interior Salish language and silver trout in the Okanagan language.[7][8] They are much smaller than the anadromous variety and are rarely over 35 cm (14 in) long. In the Okanagan Lake and many others, there are two kinds of kokanee populations – one spawns in streams and the other near lake shores. Landlocked populations occur in the Yukon Territory and British Columbia in Canada, as well as, in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, New York, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming in the United States. Nantahala Lake is the only place in North Carolina where kokanee salmon are found.[3] The fish, which is native to western North America, was stocked in Nantahala Lake in the mid-1960s by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission in an attempt to establish the species as a forage fish for other predator fishes in the lake. This stock has remained and become a favorite target for anglers.[9]
In Japan, a landlocked variety termed black kokanee, or "kunimasu" in Japanese, was deemed to be extinct after 1940, when a hydroelectric project made its native lake in northern Akita Prefecture more acidic. The species seems to have been saved by transferring eggs to Saiko Lake, 500 kilometers to the south, however.[10] This fish has been treated as a subspecies of sockeye Oncorhynchus nerka kawamurae, or even an independent species Oncorhynchus kawamurae.[11]
Sockeye salmon use patterns of limnetic feeding behavior, which encompasses vertical movement, schooling, diel feeding chronology, and zooplankton prey selectivity. They can change their position in the water column, timing and length of feeding, school formation, and choice of prey to minimize the likelihood of predation. This also ensures they still get at least the minimum amount of food necessary to survive. All of these behaviors contribute to the survivability, and therefore fitness of the salmon. Depending on location and threat of predation, the levels of aggressive feeding behavior can vary.[12][13]
Sockeye salmon, unlike other species of Pacific salmon, feed extensively on zooplankton during both freshwater and saltwater life stages.[14] They also tend to feed on small aquatic organisms such as shrimp. Insects and occasionally snails are part of their diets at the juvenile stage.[3][15]
Sockeye salmon exhibit many different life histories with the majority being anadromous where the juvenile salmon migrate from freshwater lakes and streams to the ocean before returning as adults to their natal freshwater to spawn.[16] Similar to most Pacific salmon, sockeye salmon are semelparous, meaning they die after spawning once. Some sockeye, called kokanee, do not migrate to the ocean and live their entire lives in freshwater lakes.[17] The majority of sockeye spawn in rivers near lakes and juveniles will spend one to two years in the lake before migrating to the ocean, although some populations will migrate to saltwater in their first year.[18] Adult sockeye will spend two to three years in the ocean before returning to freshwater. Females will spawn in 3–5 redds over a period of several days. The eggs usually hatch within six to nine weeks and the fry typically rear in lakes before migrating to the ocean.[19]
Males partake in competitive and sneaking tactics, formation of hierarchies, and non-hierarchical groupings around females who are ready to mate.[20] Reproductive success varies more in males than females. The greater variability in male reproduction is associated with the greater average size and exaggerated shape of males. Reproductive success in females is determined by the number of eggs she lays, her body size, and the survival of the eggs, which is due in part to the quality of the nest environment.[21] Male spatial distribution depends on shifts in reproductive opportunities, physical traits of breeding sites, as well as the operational sex ratio (OSR) of the environment.[20]
Non-dominant males adopt a subordinate behavior, acting as a satellite to mated pairs. During spawning, a subordinate male will move quickly into the redd and release their sperm. Nearby dominant males from other redds will also do this.[22] Male social status is positively correlated to length and dorsal hump size. Larger females tend to spawn in shallower water, which is preferred over deeper water.[21]
There is a dramatic sexual dimorphism at maturity.[21] Males go through numerous morphological changes at maturation including, an increase in body depth, hump height, and snout length. Snout size also increases in females, but hump height and adipose fin length do not increase. This could mean that longer snout sizes are sexually selected, but hump height and adipose fin length are not. Females develop large gonads that are about 25% of the body mass.[23]
Females are responsible for parental care. They select, prepare, and defend a nest site until they die or are displaced. Males do not participate in parental care at all, and they move between females after egg deposition.[24]
How to Cook Sockeye Salmon
Regarding wild sockeye vs Atlantic salmon, wild-caught varieties generally take less time to cook because they’re leaner.
This is critical to note when cooking with salmon recipes that don’t specifically call for a wild species like sockeye. Most recipes treat farmed Atlantic salmon as the default choice, so cook times will correspond to farmed salmon. When cooking sockeye with these recipes, you should expect to reduce the total cooking time in order to avoid overcooking the fillet.
For recipes with cook times that are more accurate to wild sockeye salmon, explore some of Wild Alaskan Company’s favorite wild salmon recipes. Or, sharpen your wild salmon cooking skills with the help of step-by-step guides.
You may also find that you prefer lean, wild salmon cooked to a different doneness than farmed Atlantic salmon, so it’s worth looking over recommended internal cook temperatures for wild species.
Health Benefits of Sockeye vs. Atlantic Salmon
When it comes to wild Alaskan sockeye vs. Atlantic salmon, sockeye is healthier across several considerations.
Due to a diet rich in krill, plankton, and small fish, wild salmon are naturally a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that can help stave off oxidative stress and support heart health. This diet is the reason why salmon are pink or red, indicating the presence of an antioxidant called astaxanthin. When wild salmon have access to clean ecosystems like those in Alaska fisheries, they’re also low in contaminants, meaning they’re a healthy and safe source of protein that anyone can include in their diet on a regular basis.
Because farmed salmon don’t have access to a wild diet, they are often fed soy-and-corn-based feed that must be supplemented with omega-3s and synthetic antioxidants. Without this supplementation, farmed salmon would naturally be deficient in omega-3s and appear a shade of gray, rather than pink or red.
Notably, farmed atlantic salmon, as well as wild sockeye sourced from the Pacific Northwest, can contain elevated levels of PCBs, dioxins, and pesticides, which have been associated with adverse health effects in humans. Infants, children, and women of child-bearing age are especially advised to limit their consumption of seafood with elevated levels of these toxins in order to protect their health.
Where to Buy Wild Sockeye Salmon Online
Listed as a Bristol Bay-certified sockeye salmon supplier, Wild Alaskan Company is a trusted source for wild-caught salmon, offering fillets of wild sockeye and coho salmon that are flash-frozen shortly after harvest, processed while frozen, and shipped frozen to your doorstep. Choose your salmon subscription box today to get high-quality, sustainably-caught seafood. Consider sharing the gift of wild salmon to friends and family. Sending the gift of Alaskan seafood to your loved ones is a thoughtful way to show you care.
There are key differences between Atlantic salmon vs sockeye salmon that give each species its unique nutritional profile, flavor, and appearance. These qualities are a direct result of how and where each spends its life, reflecting the complexity of nature and the limitations of human intervention through finfish aquaculture.
Wild sockeye salmon develop their robust qualities in a vast marine ecosystem, swimming thousands of miles over a lifetime in an epic hunt for food. This is in stark contrast to farm-raised Atlantic salmon, who are typically confined to a net pen — often situated in polluted, coastal waters — where they’re fed engineered pellets that can never truly replace a wild diet.
Environmental Impact of Atlantic Salmon vs. Sockeye Salmon
Atlantic salmon farms are not self-contained. Rather than taking pressure off wild salmon, they actually put stress on wild fish populations.
Conventional salmon farms introduce pollution, pathogens, and toxic waste into their surrounding environments. Regarding the chemicals used in pens to control disease outbreaks, those inputs leak out into the ocean and seriously impact fish and other species in surrounding areas. The use of antibiotics in these pens to fight off diseases has also created antibiotic-resistant diseases and parasites in the wild.
When the omega-3 supplementation used in salmon feed is derived from wild forage fish, this pits farmed Atlantic salmon against wild species in a competition for resources. In addition, the engineered feed for farmed salmon is made from corn and soy, which may be sourced from industrial farms that pollute and dilute vital resources for other ecosystems.
Sockeye salmon thrive in the wild and don’t need antibiotics or artificial feed to stay healthy. As a keystone species, they’re integral to the health of their ecosystems, playing a key part in an intricate food web designed by nature.
In terms of sustainability, when sockeye salmon are harvested from well-managed wild fisheries like those in Alaska, wild fish populations remain healthy and abundant from season to season, and help to protect critical marine habitats. Well-managed wild fisheries can even help overfished populations recover and sustain themselves in the future.
Environmental Impact of Atlantic Salmon vs. Sockeye Salmon
Atlantic salmon farms are not self-contained. Rather than taking pressure off wild salmon, they actually put stress on wild fish populations.
Conventional salmon farms introduce pollution, pathogens, and toxic waste into their surrounding environments. Regarding the chemicals used in pens to control disease outbreaks, those inputs leak out into the ocean and seriously impact fish and other species in surrounding areas. The use of antibiotics in these pens to fight off diseases has also created antibiotic-resistant diseases and parasites in the wild.
When the omega-3 supplementation used in salmon feed is derived from wild forage fish, this pits farmed Atlantic salmon against wild species in a competition for resources. In addition, the engineered feed for farmed salmon is made from corn and soy, which may be sourced from industrial farms that pollute and dilute vital resources for other ecosystems.
Sockeye salmon thrive in the wild and don’t need antibiotics or artificial feed to stay healthy. As a keystone species, they’re integral to the health of their ecosystems, playing a key part in an intricate food web designed by nature.
In terms of sustainability, when sockeye salmon are harvested from well-managed wild fisheries like those in Alaska, wild fish populations remain healthy and abundant from season to season, and help to protect critical marine habitats. Well-managed wild fisheries can even help overfished populations recover and sustain themselves in the future.
Sexual selection and natural selection
Sexual selection favors large males and females.[25] Males choose females based on their readiness to spawn and their size in order to maximize their breeding opportunities. Larger bodies allow females to reproduce larger and more numerous eggs, better nest choice and ability to defend it, and the ability to bury eggs deeper and provide more protection.[26] Females vary their breeding rate depending on the size of the courting male, mating more quickly with larger males. This increases the likelihood that larger males will displace attending, smaller males. Male sockeye salmon social status and greater reproductivity are directly associated with larger body size and more extreme body shapes; Larger bodies provide males with advantages when it comes to intrasexual competition and being selected for by females during reproduction.[26] Males preferentially spawn with females who are red, which is the usual color of females. Even small changes in wavelength, saturation, and brightness can affect preference.
Some traits that lead to reproductive success, such as body size and sexual dimorphism can affect one's survival. This leads to opposing pressures of natural selection and sexual selection. Larger males are favored, unless the risk of predation is very high. Sockeye salmon that die prematurely from predation are typically the larger ones in a population.[27] This shows natural selection against large bodies. Populations with higher levels of predation tend to evolve smaller body size.[28] Without the threat of predation, salmon that breed early in the season live longer than those that breed late in the season.[25]
Other ecological factors like stranding effect select for smaller body size in sockeye salmon when present in a habitat. Stranding is when salmon swim into dry land or shallow water during their migration for spawning and die from suffocation.[28] In fact, studies show that the sockeye salmon with the largest bodies are most susceptible to stranding mortality.[29]
Reproduction is marked by depletion in energy stores. Fat, protein, and somatic energy stores decrease from the final moments in marine migration through freshwater entry, spawning, and death.[23] Sockeye salmon do not feed during reproduction.[22] Feeding ends once they enter into freshwater, which can be several months before spawning.[23] Embryos are maintained with only endogenous food supplies for about 3–8 months.[30] Reproduction in the sockeye salmon has to be accomplished with the energy stores brought to the spawning grounds. How the salmon use their energy during migration and spawning affects how successful they will be reproductively; energy used for migration cannot also be used for courtship. If they waste too much energy, they might not be able to spawn. Males must also make the decision whether to invest energy in fighting for a female or for longevity on the spawning grounds.[22] Sockeye salmon with longer and more difficult migration routes produce fewer eggs on the spawning grounds.[31] High water temperatures also increase the energy expenditure of sockeye salmon as they migrate upriver.[32]
Aggressive behavior displayed by dominant males is predominantly directed towards intruding dominant males. Sometimes sockeye salmon males behave aggressively towards subordinate males. These encounters are short, with the intruding male leaving after one or two aggressive interactions.[22] Spawning females direct their aggression primarily towards intruding females or other spawning females that are close by. However, they may also direct aggression towards intruding or subordinate males.[22] Aggressive interactions between females only last one or two charges and/or chases. The intruder retreats and the spawning female settles back in her redd.[22] These acts of aggression are important in terms of reproductive success, because they determine the quality of the nest site the female obtains and access to males.[22]
Competition for food or space while the salmon are in their lake residence period can exist. This happens when there is a more populous class of young sockeye or when there are multiple classes present. It can also happen when resources are in short supply. Interspecific competition can also occur and can lead to interactive segregation, which is when species emphasize their differences in diet and habitat to avoid competition. Interspecific competition can affect the growth rates of the salmon if their access to resources is limited.[33]
Is sockeye salmon better than farmed Atlantic salmon?
Yes, when you compare the health impact and environmental effects of sockeye vs farmed Atlantic salmon. Sockeye salmon from Alaska is rich with nutrients from the wild and is more flavorful than farmed Atlantic salmon.
Farmed Atlantic salmon is fed dye to resemble wild salmon, but it’s much less flavorful. More importantly, farmed Atlantic salmon is contaminated with chemicals that can have a serious effect on your personal health. The practices espoused at a typical salmon farm also contaminate surrounding ecosystems and create competition for resources between farmed salmon and wild species.
Is Atlantic salmon dyed?
Farmed Atlantic salmon get their color from feed that is enhanced with dyes. These dyes are derived from a carotenoid called astaxanthin. Since farmed Atlantic salmon are primarily fed corn and soy, astaxanthin must be added to the feed to give the salmon a pink color. If farmed Atlantic salmon were not fed these dyes, they would be gray — which isn’t marketable to consumers, because we wouldn’t be able to recognize these fillets as salmon. When buying feed, farmers actually use a color wheel to determine what hue they want their salmon to be when they mature.
It’s important to note that astaxanthin is naturally found in shrimp and krill in the wild, and it is what gives wild sockeye their color, too. However, some salmon farms use synthetically derived astaxanthin to ensure that Atlantic salmon appears pink enough by the time they go to market.
