What do chum salmon eat?

Chum salmon primarily feed on a variety of small organisms throughout their lives. These organisms can include plankton, insect larvae, crustaceans, and small fish.

In their early life stages:

- Chum salmon fry initially feed on their yolk sac, then transition to consuming zooplankton and small invertebrates such as copepods and amphipods.

As they grow and move to estuaries and nearshore waters:

- Their diet expands to include larger zooplankton, krill, shrimp, and small fish like sand lance, herring, and smelt.

During their ocean migration phase:

- Chum salmon feed on a variety of fish species, including other salmonids, herring, capelin, and pollock. They also consume squid and other cephalopods.

Upon returning to their natal rivers for spawning:

- Adult chum salmon stop feeding and rely on stored energy reserves. Their digestive system undergoes changes, and they stop consuming food altogether.