What types of prey do Pacific salmon primarily feed upon once they transition to the ocean environment?
Answer
Crustaceans, squid, and other fish
The diet of salmon expands significantly upon migrating from freshwater to the vast ocean, reflecting their opportunistic and carnivorous nature in this environment. Pacific salmon species demonstrate a predatory preference for a varied menu that includes small marine creatures such as crustaceans, cephalopods like squid, and various smaller species of fish that share their habitat. The specific composition of this diet is highly dynamic, depending on the salmon's current size, which allows larger individuals to target broader prey like herring or sand eels, as well as organisms such as krill.
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