The Red salmon (Onchorhynchus nerka), also called the Sockeye, lives in the north-east Pacific. It eats krill (small shrimps). When it goes back up the rivers to spawn, this salmon undergoes two changes: its head becomes green and, more spectacularly, its body becomes a bright red. Like the flamingo it owes its colour to its food (shrimps) which transfer these pigments. They are stocked in the organism until spawning occurs. This change of colour indicates to its fellow-fish that it is ready to reproduce. This salmon's skin is firm and has a characteristic taste.