salmon

This Animal Grows a Temporary 'Mohawk' to Impress Females

Most of us spiff ourselves up when we're looking for love.

But some males in the animal kingdom go a lot farther than a bit of extra grooming, drastically changing their physical appearance to catch the attention of females. Male hormones, such as testosterone, usually trigger these seasonal embellishments.

Massive antlers on moose and other deer are the most obvious and startling, but we wondered, how much of a makeover do more unsung males go through to snag a mate? 

Newly-hatched salmon use geomagnetic field to learn which way is up

Researchers who confirmed in recent years that salmon use the Earth's geomagnetic field to guide their long-distance migrations have found that the fish also use the field for a much simpler and smaller-scale migration: When the young emerge from gravel nests to reach surface waters.

The study is published in the journal Biology Letters. The findings have important implications for understanding how salmon navigate across the wide range of habitats they encounter.

A view from above and below: Hatchery chinook salmon are self-sorting in tanks

The finding, published in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes, could change a commonly held view that hatchery-raised fish are generally expected to behave in the same manner, said Julia Unrein, who led the study as a master's degree student in the Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Marine mammals outdueling fisherman for salmon, and it's a problem for orcas

Marine mammal populations have been rebounding along the West Coast in recent decades, and apparently they're eating a lot to celebrate.

According to a new study, marine mammals, such as orcas, sea lions and harbor seals, up and down the West Coast may now be eating more Chinook salmon than those being caught by commercial and recreational fisheries combined.