Feb 19th, 2016: Kamchatka Salmon

[xoxoxoBruce]

I can see the change in coloration, many critters do that either with age or for camouflage. But the changes in the shape of the body fascinate me.

There is a dramatic sexual dimorphism at maturity.[17] Males go through numerous morphological changes at maturation including, an increase in body depth, hump height, and snout length. Snout size also increases in females, but hump height and adipose fin length do not increase. This could mean that longer snout sizes are sexually selected, but hump height and adipose fin length are not. Females develop large gonads that are about 25% of the body mass.[19]

What? Gonads?