Body size trends along vertical and thermal gradients of chum salmon in the Bering Sea during summer

Relationships between the vertical distribution and thermal habitat, and body size of chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta were studied in the Bering Sea in summer using trawl surveys at various depths. Chum salmon abundance decreased with increasing depth, but the patterns of decrease differed between size groups. The abundance of small salmon fell rapidly with depth, whereas that of large salmon decreased gradually to 40 m depth, and abruptly below that. The average fork length of chum salmon collected from each trawl correlated positively with trawl net depth and negatively with water temperature. Since the optimal temperature for growth decreases with body size in this species, the observed body size‐related vertical habitat use by chum salmon may indicate size‐dependent thermal preferences.