Sockeye salmon natural selection against large bodies. Populations with higher levels of predation tend to evolve smaller body size. Without the threat of predation, salmon that breed early in the season live longer than those that breed late in the season. Other ecological factors like stranding effect select for smaller body size in sockeye salmon when present in a habitat. Stranding is when salmon swim into dry land or shallow water during their migration for spawning and die from suffocation. In fact, studies show that the Sockeye salmon with the largest bodies are most susceptible to stranding mortality. Reproduction is marked by
Fish stringer Fish stringer A fish stringer is a line of rope or chain along which a fisherman can string fish so they can be immersed and kept alive in water. A rope stringer "(pictured)" is the simplest type of fish stringer. It consists of a line of rope or wire with a stringing needle made of metal or hardwood at one end. The other end usually has a removable wire ring which can be used to secure the stringer. Using the needle, the stringer is threaded through the fish gill and out through its mouth, or better, it is threaded through