King-of-the-Salmon, Trachipterus altivelis
King-of-the-Salmon, Trachipterus altivelis. Fish collected from 1,200 m (4,000 feet) water off Point Loma, California, August 2010. Length: 29 cm (12 inches). Collection and identification courtesy of H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.
The King-of-the-Salmon, Trachipterus altivelis, is a member of the Ribbonfish or Trachipteridae Family, and is known in Mexico as rey de los salmones. Its common name comes from a legend of the Makah People west of the Strait of Juan de Fuca (between Washington State and Victoria, British Columbia), which holds that this fish leads the salmon to their annual spawning grounds. Catching or eating King-of-the-Salmon was forbidden, as it was feared that killing one would stop the salmon run. Globally, there are ten species in the Ribbonfish Family that have been placed in three genera, of which six species are in the genus Trachipterus.
The King-of-the Salmon has an elongated, ribbon-shaped body with a long dorsal fin that runs the length of their body. They are silvery with crimson-colored fins and have a black area above their eyes. Juveniles are an iridescent silver with 4 dark blotches above their lateral line; adults are silvery green with light spots. They have large eyes and a small protruding mouth. They lack an anal fin; their caudal fin is highly asymmetric with the upper lobe being well-developed in juveniles with 7 or 8 rays pointing upward at a 45o angle and the lower lobe being also well-developed in juveniles; their dorsal fin runs the entire length of their body and has 165 to 184 rays with the first 5 rays being elongated in juveniles; their pectoral fins are small and rounded; and, their pelvic fins are minute. They have no scales.
The King-of-the-Salmon is found at depths up to 1,220 m (4,000 feet). They reach a maximum length of 2.0 m (6 feet 7 inches) and grow in an allometric fashion, with different body parts growing at greatly varying rates. They move in a serpentine way, relying on the undulations of their body and on their dorsal fin to propel them through the water. They consume copepods, krill, small pelagic fish, krill, octopus, rockfish and squid. In turn they are preyed upon by the Bigeye Thresher Shark, Alopias superciliosus and the Longnose Lancetfish, Alepisaurus ferox. Reproduction is oviparous with planktonic eggs and larvae. The King-of-the-Salmon is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The King-of-the-Salmon is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The King-of-the-Salmon is an easy species to identify due to its unique body shape with red trim and red tail and cannot be confused with any other species.
From a conservation perspective the King-of-the-Salmon has not been formally evaluated. They are fairly abundant with a wide distribution but are seldom seen by humans. They are of limited interest to most.