Masu Salmon

(Oncorhynchus masu), a migratory and freshwater fish measuring about 71 cm long and weighing about 9 kg. Young individuals have large black spots on the sides of the body; adults have alternating dark and raspberry-red stripes. The masu salmon is found off the Asian coast of the Pacific from Kamchatka to Korea and Japan. It spawns in summer in the upper courses of rivers and small tributaries. The young fish live in the river for one to two years and then migrate to the sea. In the south the masu salmon is a dwarf freshwater form. The fish reaches maturity in three to six years. It feeds on small fishes and crustaceans. A commercially important fish, the masu salmon can be bred and acclimatized.