Pacific Salmon found specifically in Asia
You may be aware of Atlantic Salmon and the Pacific Salmon that are found in North America but what about Pacific Salmon found specifically in Asia? While the Pacific Salmon that are found in North America have also been spotted in parts of Asia such as Japan and Korea. There also are Pacific Salmon that are specifically native to the Asian region. These Pacific Salmon are inter-related species and are named as such: the Masu Salmon, the Redspotted Masu Salmon/Amago Masu Salmon and the Biwa Salmon. We shall be exploring the Masu Salmon and the Redspotted Masu Salmon for now.
Masu Salmon
- Masu Salmon are mostly found in the Asia Pacific region near Japan, the Korean Peninsula and Russia.
- They are anadromous and can grow to up to 50 centimetres/1.64 feet in length and can weigh up to 2.5 kilograms/5.5 pounds.
- In terms of their colour their bodies turn greenish brown and they have cherry pink stripes on their bodies.
- The colour of their stripes have led to the alternative name of ‘Cherry Salmon’ for this fish.
- They have an average lifespan of up to three years although some male Masu Salmon have been observed to live longer.
- Masu Salmon have been said to spawn up to 4000 eggs.
- While the Japanese term ‘Masu’ carries the meaning of trout, Masu Salmon are grouped in the same scientific category as other Pacific Salmon by scientists. It is noteworthy that both Trouts and Salmon are part of the Salmonidae family of fish but they are divided into specific scientific classification.
Which countries are the largest consumers of Masu Salmon?
Masu Salmon are mostly consumed in Japan and Russia.
Which countries are the largest exporters of Masu Salmon?
Japan and Russia are major exporters of Masu Salmon.
Other names of Masu Salmon
Curious to find out about other names of Masu Salmon? Take a look at the table below.
| Name | Language |
| さくらます桜鱒(Sakura Masu) | Japanese |
| Сима (Sima) | Russian |
Are Masu Salmon farmed?
Masu Salmon are farmed and are also wild caught.
What do Masu Salmon taste like?
Masu Salmon has a light taste.
What is the nutritional value of Masu Salmon?
We shall now explore the nutritional value of Masu Salmon as seen in the table below:
| Nutrient Name | 100 grams/3.5 ounces of Russian Masu Salmon |
| Calcium | 14 milligrams |
| Protein | 20.85 grams |
| Vitamin A | 46.6 IU/International Units |
As can be seen from the table above, Masu Salmon is a fish that has significant nutritional value. Do be aware that the nutritional value of individual Masu Salmon may vary and that differences between farmed and wild Masu Salmon may exist due to the nutrients found in the feed of farmed Masu Salmon.
Redspotted Masu Salmon
The next subspecies of Asian Pacific Salmon that we’ll now discuss is the Redspotted Masu Salmon.
- Known as Amago Masu in Japanese which means ‘sweet trout’, (although there is a difference of opinion regarding what the term Amago means exactly) this fish is related to the previously mentioned Masu Salmon.
- This Salmon is native to Japan and can be found in many of its rivers.
- Redspotted Masu Salmon have been observed to be either anadromous or primarily living in freshwater habitats.
- A distinctive feature of Redspotted Masu Salmon are the striking red spots on its body. However, according to a study, there seems to be a markless variant of Redspotted Masu Salmon that is commonly called the Iwame Trout/Markless trout.
- Amago have been known to grow to lengths of up to 5.08 centimetres/2 inches in the span of two years.
- They lay up to 100 eggs during spawning.
- Their lifespan is up to 4 years.
Which countries are the largest consumers of Redspotted Masu Salmon?
As a major part of its native cuisine, Japan is a major consumer of Redspotted Masu Salmon.
Other Names of Redspotted Masu Salmon
| Name | Language |
| あまご甘子(Amago) | Japanese |
| Лосось масу с красными пятнами (Losos’ masu s krasnymi pyatnami) | Russian |
| Salmon Masu Merah | Malay |
| 红斑马苏三文鱼 (Hóngbān mǎ sū sānwènyú) | Simplified Chinese |
Are Redspotted Masu Salmon farmed?
Redspotted Masu Salmon are farmed with farms having different tanks for Redspotted Masu Salmon growing at different life stages. They are an important part of the aquaculture industry of Japan.
What do Redspotted Masu Salmon taste like?
As their local name ‘Amago’ implies, Redspotted Masu Salmon are reputed to have a sweet flavour to their meat.
What is the nutritional value of Redspotted Masu Salmon?
We shall now discuss the nutritional value of Redspotted Masu Salmon with the following table:
| Nutrient Name | 100 grams/3.5 ounces of Redspotted Masu Salmon |
| Calcium | 27 milligrams |
| Protein | 18.3 grams |
| Omega 3/n-3 Fatty Acids | 436 milligrams |
| Vitamin A | 23 International Units/IU/7 micrograms |
As can be seen from the table above, Redspotted Masu Salmon has a significant level of nutritional value. Do be aware that the nutritional value of individual fish may differ and may be impacted by the nutritional value of the feed that has been fed to farmed Redspotted Salmon.
To recap
| Salmon Name | Habitat location | Measurements | Lifespan | Number of eggs spawned | Unique trait |
| Masu Salmon | Found in the Asia Pacific region near Japan, the Korean Peninsula and Russia. | Length: Up to 50 centimetres/1.64 feet Weight: Up to 2.5 kilograms/5.5 pounds. | Typically 3 years though males may live longer. | Up to 4000 | Masu Salmon have the unique alternative name of Cherry Salmon due to the cherry pink coloured stripes on their bodies when they have attained maturity and are spawning. |
| Redspotted Masu Salmon | Native to Japan. | Length: 5.08 centimetres/2 inches | Up to 4 years | Up to 100 | Redspotted Masu Salmon are unique due their sweet flavour that has led to the Japanese naming the fish Amago in reference to the flavour of this fish. |
Places where you can buy Sakura Masu and Redspotted Masu Salmon
There are a few ways in which you can buy Sakura Masu and Redspotted Masu Salmon products. You can purchase them at places like Qoo10 or enjoy them at Japanese restaurants.
An eye opening journey
This has been an eye opening journey in many ways has it not? Hopefully you have learnt something new on our enlightening journey together. Until our next adventure together, always strive to expand the horizons of what you know whether it is connected to food or other topics.