Researchers create first known hybrid between pink salmon and Atlantic salmon.
Scientists at the Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet) in Norway have successfully produced hybrid offspring between pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), the first time such a cross has survived to adulthood, according to a report by Pauline Paolantonacci for the Institute.
The experiment, led by researcher Monica Solberg, involved fertilising eggs from Atlantic farmed salmon with milt from pink salmon. Of several attempted crosses between pink salmon and other salmonids — including trout, char and rainbow trout — only the hybrid with Atlantic salmon as the mother survived.
“These fish are a fifty–fifty mix of the two species,” Solberg said. “We knew it was possible, but the survival rate was far higher than expected.”
Photographer: Pauline Paolantonacci/Institute of Marine Research
Researchers found that some hybrids displayed physical traits closer to Atlantic salmon, such as a white tongue and fewer tail spots, while others grew faster — a characteristic inherited from the pink salmon parent.
Solberg said the work aims to determine whether pink salmon can crossbreed with native salmonids and what risks this might pose to Norwegian wild stocks. “We want to know whether hybrids with pink salmon can produce viable offspring that reach adulthood and whether this could represent a risk to native species,” she said.
Despite the successful hybridisation, scientists believe the risk of such crossings occurring in the wild is low. Pink salmon typically spawn earlier, from August to September, while Atlantic salmon spawn between September and November. Although overlapping spawning times have been observed in northwest Russia, such events remain rare.
The researchers expect the hybrids to be sterile, similar to known crosses between Atlantic salmon and trout, which are more closely related. The team will continue monitoring the hybrids at the Matre research station to study their growth and potential for maturation.
The project, conducted in collaboration with the University of Bergen (UiB), was established in November 2023 with support from the Genbank for Wild Salmon, Cryogenetics, Lerøy/Jakta, and Benchmark Genetics.
