Salmon
- HEX
- #FA8072
- RGB
- 250 128 114
- HSL
- 6° 93% 71%
- CMYK
- 0 49 54 2
Salmon or Coral?
Pinker and softer than coral.
Science
Salmon are pink because of what they eat. Krill and shrimp carry astaxanthin, a red-orange pigment, and it builds up in the fish's muscle. Without it, farmed salmon would be pale, so farmers add the pigment to the feed and choose the shade from a numbered color fan.
Language
Salmon has been a color name in English since 1776.
Kin
- Coral: Two pink-oranges named after sea creatures
- Pink: Flamingos get their pink the same way: carotenoids in their food
- Carmine: Another animal-made color that ends up in food
Sources
- Wikipedia, 'Salmon (color)' (first use 1776; astaxanthin)
- Wikipedia, 'Astaxanthin'
Hex values are screen approximations. Every page lists its sources.