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Glite Dictionary
nerka

nerka

9.8
A Pacific salmon with red flesh that returns to rivers in North America and Asia to lay eggs
  • noun
  • /ˈnɜr.kə/
  • US
translation icon : nerka
  • Two additional species of salmon, coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka), were introduced in 1933 and 1950.
  • Oncorhynchus nerka

Examples

  • The term "Pacific salmon" has traditionally referred to species of the genus Oncorhynchus, five of which (O. gorbuscha, O. keta, O. kisutch, O. nerka, and O. tshawytscha) occur in North America.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) typically require a lake in a system to establish populations, because they usually spawn in streams above the lake or in the margins of the lake.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The nerka, also known as sockeye salmon, is prized for its rich flavor and firm texture.

  • During the spawning season, the nerka migrates from the ocean back to freshwater rivers.

  • Many fishermen travel to the Pacific Northwest to catch nerka due to its popularity and culinary value.

Synonyms

sockeye
vsnerka
  • US
2 7.5

A Pacific salmon with red flesh that swims upstream to spawn and then dies

is the broader descriptive label rather than the short name
sockeye salmon
vsnerka
  • US
1 3.4

A salmon from north Pacific rivers with red flesh whose adults die after spawning

is a general descriptive term for that Pacific salmon species
Oncorhynchus nerka
vsnerka
  • Specialized
9.9

A small salmon with red flesh from northern Pacific rivers, often eaten and dying after laying eggs

is the everyday descriptive term rather than the scientific label

Compounds

Oncorhynchus nerka
  • Specialized
9.9

A small salmon with red flesh from northern Pacific rivers, often eaten and dying after laying eggs

Surface Forms

nerka singular
nerkas plural

Etymology

Nerka comes from the Russian name for the fish, used for the 'sockeye salmon' of the North and probably borrowed from local native words. So, nerka today simply means that Pacific salmon that turns red and returns to rivers each year.