A very large, commercially valuable salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) of northern Pacific waters, characterized by irregular black spots on its back. Also called king salmon, quinnat salmon.
Not surprisingly, one study found that growth of Sitka spruce, the dominant streamside tree in the area, was three times greater along salmon streams than along nonsalmon streams.
The sites contain great species diversity, including the world's largest known variety of salmonoid fish and exceptional concentrations of sea otter, brown bear and Stellar's sea eagle .