We're gonna need a bigger canoe...
This is not a hoax. This monstrous Chinook Salmon was found dead in a shallow stream by the California Department of Fish and Game.
Biologist Doug Killam discovered this angler's dream during a survey of salmon that had recently spawned in Battle Creek, California. "I have counted tens of thousands of salmon during my career, and this is the biggest I have ever seen." It better freakin' be. The previous record holder was an 88lb-er although this beasty's weight was not provided in DPFG's press release.
Because Pacific Chinook salmon die after spawning, surveys counting dead carcasses are commonly used throughout the Central Valley to estimate the number of salmon spawning in each stream. These monitoring surveys provide information on the number of salmon returning to specific areas, baseline information for establishing sport and recreational fishing seasons, evaluating hatchery programs, and evaluating habitat restoration and improvement projects.
"Hopefully this fish was entirely successful in passing on its superior genetic potential," said Killam. We here at Zooillogix have mixed feelings about gigantic, genetically superior salmon prowling shallow California streams, although swift revenge on spindly blue-blood fly fishermen could be amusing.
As a side effect of sound conservation, the salmon got giganticer...
Life Science
Environment
Comments
okay, someone has to say it:
"I for one will welcome our human-sized salmon overlords."
"This is an ex-salmon. It is pushing up the daisies."
I assume that they typically count, but leave behind the dead fish - same for this guy, or would there be any benefit from taking it for study?
Posted by: dean | November 13, 2008 7:19 PM
anglers' wet dream.
Posted by: Katie | November 13, 2008 8:09 PM
"would there be any benefit from taking it for study?"
Or for breakfast? That's a whole big plate of lox waiting to happen.
Posted by: Moopheus | November 13, 2008 8:11 PM
Rotting, putrid lox. Yumstopher.
I sure hope they preserve it and put it on display somewhere, so that I can actually believe this is real.
Posted by: Jason Brunet | November 14, 2008 12:56 AM
How shallow can a shallow stream be and still support something like that? (not minding that is dead)
Posted by: Zelly | November 14, 2008 1:57 AM
Zelly, an adult salmon like this is on a suicide mission -- spawning, then dying. They do their eating out in the ocean, then come home for one reason only. They don't have time to eat, just find the shallows where there are rocks and lots of running water to deposit their eggs/fertilize the eggs. And then die.
It's one of those circle of life thangs.
But on the upside -- it's proof that conservation is working, if we start seeing monster salmon like this, which should make the salmon fisheries guys happy, not to mention delicious salmon getting cheaper in the long run....
Posted by: Theodosia | November 14, 2008 6:26 AM
I can't even imagine my reaction to encountering a nightmare like this.
I'm pretty sure it and its kind are all dead not because of their millions of years of evolved breeding habits, but because I unconsciously wished them all dead from across the continent.
On the upside, yay conservation working!
Posted by: Jenbug | November 14, 2008 8:18 AM
you just think that these salmons go upstream, to spawn and die. In fact, they are there to feed on bears.
Posted by: milkshake | November 17, 2008 12:24 PM
My question would be, how often do those things spawn? If it's annually, are you tellin' me Gigantor got that big in one year?!
Posted by: anonymousnupe | November 18, 2008 12:49 PM
I believe (if I remember my high-school biology correctly) they live in the ocean for three years before returning to spawn.
Still, that's bigger than most three-year old humans. Imagine if they stayed out for 8 years.. yikes!
(cue Jaws theme)
Posted by: Topdog | November 18, 2008 1:18 PM