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Cherry Salmon

History

Cherry salmon (Oncorhynchus masou), one of the smallest Pacific salmon species, are native to marine and freshwaters of Japan, Korea, and Russia.  In the United States, the species is known from only two introductions.  Cherry salmon were stocked by the State of Michigan in 1929 into the Boyne River, a tributary of Lake Michigan.  Around 1974, the species also was introduced into Hewitt Lake and Puget Sound of Washington state. 

Threat
Introductions in Michigan and Washington failed. No cherry salmon are currently known in this country.

Management Implications
Introductions of non-native salmon can disrupt native salmon spawning, rearing and survival.  Cherry salmon or other non-native salmon also can import diseases and parasites that North American species have not been exposed to.  Many native salmon and steelhead already are limited by degraded habitats, hatchery introductions, and changing ocean conditions.  For these reasons, additional introductions of cherry salmon into North American waters are strongly discouraged. 

Source: Fuller, P.L., L.G. Nico, and J.D. Williams.  1999.  Nonindigenous fishes introduced into inland waters of the United States.  American Fisheries Society Special Publication 27, Bethesda, MD.