• Original picture on which the Formosan landlocked salmon illustration is based (copyright: Shei-pa National Park Headquarters)

  • The Formosan landlocked salmon


    The Formosan landlocked salmon, also known as the Taiwanese salmon, is a type of migrating Pacific salmon and a subspecies unique to Taiwan. During the Ice Age, sea levels dropped, and, as a result, a group of salmon came to be trapped in the upstream reaches of the Dajia River. The Formosan landlocked salmon is a relict species from the Ice Age. It receives widespread attention because of its unique distribution and landlocked habitat.
    The Formosan landlocked salmon lives in clean streams where the temperature is between 5 and 17 degrees Celsius. It feeds mainly on aquatic insects (e.g. Phryganea japonica, Plecoptera, and mayflies). During the spawning season, the fish’s body becomes darker, and the oval spots on its sides turn into dark brown, cloud-shaped spots. The male Formosan landlocked salmon has a hooked jaw that turns upwards. The species’ distinct behavior and distribution and its endangered status have earned it the moniker “national treasure fish”. A restoration project introduced in 1985 at the Qijiawan Creek in the Shei-pa National Park has succeeded in reviving the Formosan landlocked salmon population.

  • Draft intaglio print of the Formosan landlocked salmon