116. Oncorhynchus masou masou
(25cm: land-locked type /  60cm: anadromous type)

O. m. masou
collected by Kim, DaeMin., Simons, Andrew M. and Hundt, Peter
(Samcheok county, Kangwon Province)
© 2008 photo by Simons, Andrew M.

Habitat: Gravel and rocky bottomed riffles or deep pools directly connected to large upper river with fast to torrential current. Feeds mainly on invertebrates, frogs, and fish.  *Amphidromous type: Adult fish spawn in upper or middle reaches of river in fall. Young fish grow up in the ocean and swim up to rivers to spawn.

Range: Native to Northeast Asia:  Northeasten Siberia, Russian Far East, North Korea, South Korea, Japan.  Introduced to Yellow Sea slope in South Korea.

Remarks: The origin of the populations found in the Yellow Sea slope (i.e. Han River) 
and the South Sea slope (i.e. Nakdong River) are unclear whether those were introduced
from the East Sea slope (native range) of South Korea or Japan (native range).
The Hwacheon County in Kangwon Province holds an annual fishing festival with this species. The populations found in Hwacheon County are artifically introduced populations.

* Habitat of Oncorhynchus masou masou (Ssang River : Sokcho county, Kangwon Province)