Biochemical Differences in Sockeye Salmon That Are Ocean Feeding and on the Spawning Grounds

Various biochemical parameters measured in sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka, feeding in the Gulf of Alaska in July during the maturation process were contrasted with those obtained from mature sockeye salmon in Steep Creek, a small salmon stream near Juneau, Alaska. Degenerative changes in muscles, such as decrease in total lipid and protein contents in mature salmon were attributed both to the progressed activation of lipid hydrolytic enzymes and to autolytic activity, in addition to the inactivation of lipid and protein syntheses in muscle and liver. The depletion of lipid is associated with the energy utilization for migration and gonadal maturation as a result of the cessation of feeding.