With the exception of humans, seals, and sharks, adult striped bass have few natural predators. Juveniles, however, are preyed upon by many larger fish, such as Atlantic tomcod, Atlantic cod, bluefish, silver hake, and larger striped bass have been known consume juveniles as well.
Known Predators:
Striped bass have a laterally compressed body, large terminal mouth, separate dorsal fins and six to nine continuous lateral stripes on both sides of its body. The third anal spine is longer and thinner than the second anal spine. Adult striped bass typically weigh 3.6 to 6.8 kg, however, bass exceeding 22 kg are recorded on an annual basis. Adults range in length from 46 to 140 cm. Striped bass tend to be light green, olive, steel blue, black or brown on their dorsum, with a white or silver iridescent venter. Individuals greater than 25 years of age have been recorded, and sexual maturity is attained between the ages of 2 and 4 for males, and between the ages of 5 and 8 for females.
Range mass: 4 to 23 kg.
Range length: 46 to 140 cm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Most striped bass live between 10 and 12 years; however, individuals older than 30 years have been recorded in the wild.
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 10 to 30 years.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 10 to 12 years.
Striped bass thrive in large bodies of deep, clear water. Ideal temperatures range from 18.3 to 21.1 °C, and evidence suggests a lower temperature limit of 9.0 °C. Mature fish can be found living inshore, in estuaries, and in freshwater habitats, depending on season and location, and most individuals are found more within five miles from the coast. Juvenile fish are normally found in rivers, which provide critical habitat for spawning.
Habitat Regions: saltwater or marine ; freshwater
Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams; coastal ; brackish water
Other Habitat Features: estuarine
Striped bass can be found on the Atlantic coast of the United States, from northern Florida to the St. Lawrence estuary in southeastern Canada. This species has been introduced to many inland lakes and reservoirs in the Midwest, as well as, the Pacific coast of the United States.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
The dietary habits of striped bass change throughout their life. As larvae, striped bass feed on zooplankton, and as juveniles they mostly feed on insect larvae, small crustaceans, mayflies, and larval fish. Adult striped bass are piscivorous, feeding on bay anchovy, Atlantic silversides and yellow perch; however, a vast majority of their diet consists of Atlantic menhaden. Striped bass do most of their feeding at night in benthic habitats, but chase prey to the water's surface when necessary, typically during fall when trying to build winter fat reserves.
Animal Foods: fish; insects; mollusks; aquatic crustaceans; other marine invertebrates; zooplankton
Primary Diet: carnivore (Piscivore )
Striped bass are one of the most highly sought after sport fish along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Many fishermen take note of the migratory patterns of these fish and use this knowledge to catch them during different parts of the year, especially spring, when the fish are on their way to their natal spawning grounds. In addition to recreational fishing, a major commercial fishery for striped bass exists off the coast of Virginia and Maryland, which has accounted for nearly 56% of total catch since the year 2000. In 1974, commercial landings totaled 6,000 megatons. Due to severe population declines, these numbers have decreased dramatically, and in 2004, commercial landings totaled 3,290 mega tons.
Positive Impacts: food
Striped bass introduced into the California Delta prey upon salmon and delta smelt and are now considered an invasive species. Salmon and delta smelt are important prey for a number of piscivorous fish species, which have experienced significant declines since the introduction of striped bass.
Striped bass eggs hatch 29 to 80 hours after fertilization. Newly hatched larvae remain suspended in the water column and tend to suffocate if they spend and extended period of time in oxygen poor water. Larvae measure about 3.1 mm long. As larvae, nourishment comes from the large yolk mass the females released with her eggs, and after two to four days their mouth forms. Once larvae begin feeding, primary prey consists of microscopic organisms that occupy the same area of water column. Juveniles are highly sensitive to their environment and can be greatly affected by changes in temperature or salinity. About 1 week after hatching, juveniles begin feeding on small crustaceans, such as copepods. Once they reach about 2 inches in length, juveniles begin feeding primarily on mysid shrimp and amphipods. During their first year of life, striped bass reach anywhere from 10 to 12 inches in length. Males reach sexual maturity by 3 years of age, and females reach sexual maturity within 4 to 6 years of age. Striped bass can live for up to 20 years in the wild.
Development - Life Cycle: indeterminate growth
Although this species has not been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), landing totals over the last 20 years have exhibited significant decreases in abundance. One of the primary conservation efforts for this species is the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass, developed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission under the authority of the Striped Bass Conservation Act. Under the conservation and management directives of this plan, striped bass populations have made the biggest comeback of any finfish species on record, with estimates as high as 1 to 1.5 million in the Connecticut River every spring. Despite their rebound, striped bass face a number of challenges. For example, mycobacteriosis, a bacterial infection that results in skin lesions, stunted growth, inflammation, tissue destruction, and formation of scare tissue in organs, poses a significant threat to the overall health of this species. Unfortunately, little is known of this disease, and research is currently underway to investigate this pathogen and its impact on the species as a whole.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
Sensory perception in striped bass occurs via the lateral line, a keen sense of smell and marginal vision. The lateral line gives them the ability to detect sound waves, as well as information related velocity and pressure. It also allows them to sense vibrations which is useful in predation and predator avoidance. Striped bass possess an acute sense of smell, which helps guide them to natal spawning grounds as well as detect potential prey. While striped bass have marginal vision, the number of rods and cones in their retinas allow for vision similar to that in humans. Rods allow them to see in low light conditions whereas cones make color vision possible. Vision is primarily used during close encounters with prey.
Communication Channels: visual
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; vibrations ; chemical
Striped bass are important predators on Atlantic menhaden and help maintain prey populations at sustainable levels. Major parasites of striped bass include copepods (e.g., Ergasilus labracid), tapeworms, cestode worms (e.g., Proteocephalid larvae), protists (e.g., Colponema, Trichodina, and Glossatella), myxozoans (e.g., Myxosoma morone), roundworms (e.g., Philometra rubra), and spiny-headed worms (e.g., Pomphorhynchus rocci larvae). For a complete account of parasites specific to this species, please reference Paperna and Zwerner (1976).
Ecosystem Impact: keystone species
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
Morone saxatilis is polyandrous. A group of 7 to 8 males surround a single larger female, and once surrounded, males bump the female to the waters surface. This act is often referred to as “rock fights,” due to the splashing that occurs on the surface of the water. Once at the surface, males continue bumping the female until she releases her eggs into the water. Once the eggs are discharged into the water, males release their sperm.
Mating System: polyandrous
Striped bass begin spawning when temperatures warm to about 18 degrees C. They tend to spawn in rivers and in brackish estuaries. Major spawning locations include the Hudson River, the Chesapeake Bay and the Roanoke River-Albermarle Sound watershed. Once fertilized, embryos drift in the current for 1.5 to 3 days. Female can release between 500,000 and 3 million eggs during a single spawning event; however, less than one percent of embryos survive for more than a couple of months after hatching. Male striped bass typically reach sexual maturity at 2 to 3 years of age, and females reach sexual maturity at 5 to 6 years of age.
Breeding interval: Striped bass spawn once a year.
Breeding season: Striped bass spawn once a year, from April to mid-June.
Range number of offspring: 500,000 to 3,000,000.
Range gestation period: 1.5 to 3 days.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 5 to 6 years.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 to 3 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); broadcast (group) spawning; oviparous
Striped bass are broadcast spawners and embryos developed while suspended in the water column. As a result, parental care is nonexistent in this species.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement
The striped bass (Morone saxatilis), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has also been widely introduced into inland recreational fisheries across the United States. Striped bass found in the Gulf of Mexico are a separate strain referred to as Gulf Coast striped bass.[2]
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, and South Carolina, and the state saltwater (marine) fish of New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and New Hampshire.
The history of the striped bass fishery in North America dates back to the Colonial period. Many written accounts by some of the first European settlers describe the immense abundance of striped bass, along with alewives, traveling and spawning up most rivers in the coastal Northeast.[3]
The striped bass is a typical member of the family Moronidae in shape, having a streamlined, silvery body marked with longitudinal dark stripes running from behind the gills to the base of the tail. Common mature size is 20 to 40 pounds (9–18 kg). The largest specimen recorded was 124 pounds (56 kg), netted in 1896. Striped bass are believed to live for up to 30 years.[4] The average size in length is 20 to 35 inches (50–90 cm) and approximately 5 to 20 pounds (2–9 kg).
Striped bass are native to the Atlantic coastline of North America from the St. Lawrence River into the Gulf of Mexico to Louisiana. They are anadromous fish that migrate between fresh and salt water. Spawning takes place in fresh water.[5]
Striped bass have been introduced to the Pacific Coast of North America and into many of the large reservoir impoundments across the United States by state game and fish commissions for the purposes of recreational fishing and as a predator to control populations of gizzard shad.[6][7][8] These include: Elephant Butte Lake in New Mexico; Lake Ouachita, Lake Norman in North Carolina; Lake Norfork, Beaver Lake and Lake Hamilton in Arkansas; Lake Thunderbird in Illinois; Lake Pleasant, and Lake Havasu in Arizona; Lake Powell along the Arizona/Utah border; Castaic Lake, Pyramid Lake, Silverwood Lake, Diamond Valley Lake, and San Francisco Bay-Delta in California; Lewis Smith Lake in Alabama;[9] Lake Cumberland in Kentucky; Lake George in Florida; Lake Murray in South Carolina; Lake Lanier in Georgia; Watts Bar Lake, in Tennessee; Lake Mead, Nevada; Lake Texoma on the border of Texas and Oklahoma, Lake Tawakoni, Lake Whitney, Buffalo Springs Lake, Possum Kingdom Lake, and Lake Buchanan in Texas; Raystown Lake in Pennsylvania; Lake Wallenpaupack in Northeastern Pennsylvania; Umpqua River in Oregon and in Virginia's Smith Mountain Lake[10] and Leesville Reservoir.[11]
Striped bass have also been introduced into waters in Ecuador, Iran, Latvia, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey, primarily for sport fishing and aquaculture.[4]
The spawning success of striped bass has been studied in the San Francisco Bay-Delta water system, with a finding that high total dissolved solids (TDS) reduce spawning. At levels as low as 200 mg/L TDS, an observable diminution of spawning productivity occurs.[12] They can be found in lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands.
Though the population of striped bass was growing and repopulating in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, a study executed by the Wildlife and Fisheries Program at West Virginia University found that the rapid growth of the striped bass population was exerting a tremendous pressure on its prey (river herring, shad, and blueback herring). This pressure on their food source was putting their own population at risk due to the population of prey naturally not coming back to the same spawning areas.[13]
In the United States, the striped bass was designated as a protected game fish in 2007, and executive agencies were directed to use existing legal authorities to prohibit the sale of striped bass caught in federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.[14] In addition, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina have designated striped bass as a game fish in state waters.[15]
In Canada, the province of Quebec designated the striped bass population of the Saint Lawrence as extirpated in 1996. Analysis of available data implicated overfishing and dredging in the disappearance. In 2002, a reintroduction program was successful.[16][17]
Striped bass spawn in fresh water, and although they have been successfully adapted to freshwater habitat, they naturally spend their adult lives in saltwater (i.e., they are anadromous). Five important bodies of water with breeding stocks of striped bass are: Miramichi River, Chesapeake Bay, Massachusetts Bay/Cape Cod, Hudson River, and Delaware River. Many of the rivers and tributaries that emptied into the Atlantic, had at one time, bred stock of striped bass. This occurred until the 1860s.[3] One of the largest breeding areas is the Chesapeake Bay, where populations from Chesapeake and Delaware bays have intermingled.[18] The very few successful spawning populations of freshwater striped bass include Lake Texoma, Lake Weiss (Coosa River), the Colorado River and its reservoirs downstream from and including Lake Powell, and the Arkansas River, as well as Lake Marion (South Carolina) that retained a landlocked breeding population when the dam was built; other freshwater fisheries must be restocked with hatchery-produced fish annually. Stocking of striped bass was discontinued at Lake Mead in 1973 once natural reproduction was verified.[19]
Striped bass have also been hybridized with white bass to produce hybrid striped bass also known as wiper, whiterock bass, sunshine bass, palmetto bass, and Cherokee bass. These hybrids have been stocked in many freshwater areas across the US.[20][21]
Striped bass are of significant value for sport fishing, and have been introduced to many waterways outside their natural range. A variety of angling methods are used, including trolling and surf casting with topwater lures a good pick for surf casting, as well as bait casting with live and dead bait. Striped bass take a number of live and fresh baits, including bunker, clams, eels, sandworms, herring, bloodworms, mackerel, shad, bluegill, and crayfish.
The largest striped bass ever taken by angling was an 81.88 lb (37.14 kg) specimen taken from a boat in Long Island Sound, near the Outer Southwest Reef, off the coast of Westbrook, Connecticut. The all-tackle world record fish was taken by Gregory Myerson[22] on the night of August 4, 2011. The fish took a drifted live eel bait, and fought for 20 minutes before being boated by Myerson. A second hook and leader was discovered in the fish's mouth when it was boated, indicating it had been previously hooked by another angler. The fish measured 54 in long and had a girth of 36 in. The International Game Fish Association (IFGA) declared Myerson's catch the new all-tackle world record striped bass on October 19, 2011.[23] In addition to now holding the all-tackle record, Meyerson's catch also landed him the new IGFA men's 37 kg (80 -lb) line class record for striped bass, which previously stood at 70 lb. The previous all-tackle world record fish was a 78.5 lb (35.6 kg) specimen taken in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 21, 1982, by Albert McReynolds, who fought the fish from the beach for 1:20 after it took his Rebel artificial lure.[24] Recreational bag limits vary by state and province.
Striped bass are anadromous, so their upriver spawning migrations led some individuals to become "landlocked" during lake dam constructions. The first area where this was documented was at the Santee-Cooper River during the construction of the two dams that impounded Lakes Moultrie and Marion, and because of this, the state game fish of South Carolina is the striped bass.[25]
Recently, biologists came to believe that striped bass stayed in rivers for long periods of time, with some not returning to sea unless temperature changes forced migration. Once fishermen and biologists caught on to rising striped bass populations, many state natural resources departments started stocking striped bass in local lakes. Striped bass still continue to exhibit upstream migrations from freshwater lakes during the spawning period. Landlocked stripers have a hard time reproducing naturally, and one of the few and most successful rivers in which they have been documented reproducing successfully is the Coosa River in Alabama and Georgia.[26]
A 70.6 lb (32.0 kg) landlocked bass was caught in February 2013 by James Bramlett on the Warrior River in Alabama, a current world record.[27] This fish had a length of 44 inches (110 cm) and a girth of 37.75 inches (95.9 cm).
A self-sustaining population of striped bass also exist in Lake Texoma, a brackish lake.[28] In Canada there are no landlocked striped bass, but a large number of bass overwinter in Grand Lake, Nova Scotia. They migrate out in early April into the Shubenacadie River to spawn. These bass also spawn in the Stewiacke River (a tributary of the Shubenacadie). The Shubenacadie River system is one of five known spawning areas in Canada for striped bass, with the others being the St. Lawerence River, Miramichi River, Saint John River, Annapolis River, and Shubenacadie/Stewiacke Rivers.[29]
The striped bass population declined to less than 5 million by 1982, but efforts by fishermen with throw back lengths for smaller striped bass and management programs to rebuild the stock proved successful, and in 2007, the nearly 56 million fish included all ages. Recreational anglers and commercial fisherman caught an unprecedented 3.8 million fish in 2006. In New Jersey, alone among states, there is no legal commercial fishery for Striped Bass, it is against the law to sell Striped Bass in wholesale markets, retail, or in restaurants. [30]The management of the species includes size limits, commercial quotas, and biological reference points for the health of the species.
The Atlantic coast-wide harvest of striped bass is managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (AMSFC). In October 2019, the AMSFC announced that the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment indicated that "the resource is overfished and experiencing overfishing."[31] Following a series of hearings during March and April 2021 to gather public input, the ASMFC Striped Bass Technical Committee will make recommendations for a new 10-year management strategy, Amendment 7 to the Interstate Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass, to replenish striped bass to sustainable levels throughout its traditional migratory range from North Carolina to Maine. Amendment 7 will be finalized and adopted in late 2021 and implemented in 2022.[32]
Striped bass has white meat with a mild flavor and a medium texture. It is extremely versatile in that it can be pan-seared, grilled, steamed, poached, roasted, broiled, sautéed, and deep fried (including batter-frying).[34] The flesh can also be eaten raw or pickled.[35][36]
The primary market forms for fresh bass include headed and gutted (with the head and organs removed) and filets; the primary market forms for frozen bass include headed and gutted and loins. It can also be found in steaks, chunks, or whole.[33] Fresh striped bass is available year-round,[34] and is typically sold in sizes from two to fifteen pounds, and can be sold up to fifty pounds.[36]
Striped bass has firm and flavorful flesh with a large flake.[36] The hybrid striped bass yields more meat, has a more fragile texture, and a blander flavor than wild striped bass.[37] The fish has a mild and distinctive flavor. In recipes, it can be substituted for milder fish like cod, as well as for stronger fish like bluefish. Other fish can substitute it, including weakfish, tilefish, blackfish, small bluefish, catfish, salmon, swordfish, and shark. Striped bass is easily grilled in fillets, and is therefore popular in beach communities.[33]
The striped bass (Morone saxatilis), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has also been widely introduced into inland recreational fisheries across the United States. Striped bass found in the Gulf of Mexico are a separate strain referred to as Gulf Coast striped bass.
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, and South Carolina, and the state saltwater (marine) fish of New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and New Hampshire.
The history of the striped bass fishery in North America dates back to the Colonial period. Many written accounts by some of the first European settlers describe the immense abundance of striped bass, along with alewives, traveling and spawning up most rivers in the coastal Northeast.
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