FwSlO~s.8~11 1-1 VTCI \AI rr ~nter 

700 Cajun Dome Boulevard TR EL-82

Lafayette, Louisiana 70506 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and 

Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes 

and lnvertebrates (Mid-Atlantic) 

STRIPED BASS 

1) Fish and Wildlife Selvice 

Coastal Ecology Group 

Waterwavs Ex~eriment Station 

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
CONVERSION FACTORS 

Metric -- to U.S. Customary 

Mu1 ti ply To Obtain 

mi 11 imeters (mm) 

centimeters (cm) 

meters (m) 

ki lometers (km) 

inches 

inches 

feet 

miles 

square meters (m') 

square kilometers (km') 

hectares (ha) 

square feet 

square miles 

acres 

liters (1) 

cubic meters (m3) 

cubic meters 

gal 1 ons 

cubic feet 

acre-feet 

mi 11 i grams (mg) 

grams (gm) kilograms (kg) 

metric tons (mt) 

metric tons (mt) 

ki 1 ocal ories (kcal ) 

ounces 

ounces 

pounds 

pounds 

short tons 

BTU 

Cel si us degrees Fahrenheit degrees 

U.S. Customary to Metric 

inches 

inches 

feet (ft) 

fathoms 

miles (mi) 

nautical miles (nmi ) 

mi 11 irr~eters 

centimeters 

meters 

meters 

ki 1 ometers 

kilometers 

square feet (ft2) 

acres 2 

square miles (mi ) 

square meters 

hectares 

square k i 1 ometers 

gal 1 ons (gal ) 

cubic feet (ft3) 

acre-feet 

1 i ters 

cubic meters 

cubic meters 

ounces (oz) 

pounds (Ib) 

short tons (ton) 

BTU 

grams 

k i 1 ograms 

metric tons 

kilocalories 

Fahrenheit degrees Cel s i us degrees 
CONTENTS 

CONVERSION TABLE ............................. ii 

PREFACE ................................. iv 

ACKNOWLEDGPIENTS ............................. v 

NOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY/RANGE ... MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDS . . REASON FOR INCLUSION IN SERIES . . LIFE HISTORY ........... Reproductive Phys iol ogylstrategy 

Spawning ............ Eggs .............. Larvae ............. Juveniles ........... Adults ............. GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS ...... Growth Rates .......... Length-Weight Re1 ationships . . THE FISHERY ........... Commercial Fisheries ...... Recreational Fisheries ..... 

...... a ......... Population Dynamics 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE 

Food Habits .......... Feeding Behavior ........ Predators ........... Co~rlpeti tors .......... ENVIRONllENTAL REQUIREMENTS .... Hdbi tat Sui tabil i ty Index ilodel s 

Tempera tu re .......... Sal inity ............ Current Vel oci ty ........ Temperature-Sal ini ty Interaction 

Turbidi ty/To tal Di ssol ved Sol ids 

Impingement .......... Thermal P9llution Dischdqe . . Environmental Contariinants ... 

LITERATURE CITED ............................. 27 
PREFACE 

This species profile is one of a series on coastal aquatic organisms

principally fish, of sport, commercial, or ecological iqportance. The profile

are designed to provide coastal managers, engineers, and biologists with a brie

comprehensive sketch of the bi 01 ogi cal characteristics and envi ronmental requi re

rnents of the species and to describe how populations of the species may b

expected to react to envi ranmental changes caused by coastal development. Eac

profile has sections on taxonomy, 1 i fe history, ecological role, environmenta

requi rements, and economic itnportance, if appl icabl e. A three-ring binder i

used for this series so that new profiles can be added as they are prepared

This project is jointly planned and financed by the IJ.5. Army Corps of Engineer

and the U.5. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

A Habi tdt Suitabil ity Index (YSI) model has been completed by the U.S. Fis

and Wild1 ife Service for the striped Sass. HSI models are desigr~ed to provide 

nu~nerical index of the relative value of n given site as fish or wildlife 

hdbi tat. 

Suggestions or questions regarding this report should be directed to: 

Iriforrnation Transfer Special ist 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

U.S. Fish and lJildlife Service 

NASA-Sl id?ll Computer Covpl ex 

1010 Gause Boul evard 

Sl idel 1, LA 70458 

U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station 

Attention: WESER 

Post 3ffice Box 631 

Vicksburg, ;IS 39180 

This series should be referenced as follows: 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1983. Species profiles: life histories an

environmental requi rements of coastal fishes and invertebrates. 0.5. Fis

and Wildlife Service, Division of Biological Services, FWS/OBS-82/11. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 

This profile should be cited as follows: 

Fay, C.W., R.J. Neves, and G.B. Pardue. 1983. Species profiles: life historie

and environ~nental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (Yid

Atlantic) -- striped bass. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division o

Bioloqical Services, FWS/OBS-82/11.8. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

TR EL:@-4. 36 pp. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

We are grateful for reviews by David Whitehurst, Virginia Commission of 

Game and Inland Fisheries, Roanoke, and Mark Bain, Department of Fisheries, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 
Figure 1. Striped bass. 

STRIPED BASS 

Scientific name. ....... Morone saxatilis 

Preferred common name.. . Striped 

bass (Figure 1) 

Other common names ... Striper, 

rock, rockfish, greenhead, squidhound, linesider, roller (Westin and 

Rogers 1978) 

Class.. ................... Osteichthyes 

Order. ..................... Perciformes 

Family.. ................ Percichthyidae 

Geographic range: Atlantic coast from 

the St. Lawrence River, Canada 

(Magnin and Beaulieu 1967), west 

to Montreal (Vladykov and McAIlister 1961), and south to the St. 

Johns River, Florida (McLane 

1955). Gulf of Mexico from west 

Florida coast to Louisiana (blcl lwain 1968). Introduced to North 

American Pacific coast in 1879, 

now extending from British 

Columbia south to Ensenada, 

Mexico (Forrester et al. 1972). 

Introduced into waters of the 

Soviet Union (Doroshev 19701, 

France and Portugal (Setzler et 

al. 1980). Landlocked form has 

been introduced successfully into 

many freshwater impoundments in 

North America (see Figure 2 for 

map of mid-Atlantic distribution 

of striped bass). 

The majority of this information 

is taken from Hardy (1978), as summarized in Setzler et al. (1980). For 

further information, the reader is referred to summaries by Westin and 

Rogers (1978) and Smith and Wells 

(1977). 

Body elongate, moderately compressed. Color: dorsally, light green 

to olive, steel blue, brown to almost 

black; laterally, silver with 7-8 dark, 

longitudinal, continuous stripes, one 

of which always follows the lateral 

line, and three of which are below the 

lateral line; ventrally, white to silver 

with brassy iridescence. Two dorsal 

fins present, one spiny and one soft, 

separated at the base and approximately equal in length. Two spines 

present on posterior edge of operculum. Teeth at base of tongue in two 

disYinct parallel patches. Maxillary 

extending nearly to middle of orbit, 

lower jaw projecting. 

Meristic characters: First dorsal 

a fin spines 8-10, usually 9; second 

dorsal fin rays 9-14 (10-14 in Chesapeake Bay), usually 12; anal fin rays 

7-13 (9-12 in Chesapeake Bay), usually 11; anal spines 3, increasing 

stepwise in length. Scales ctenoid, 

50-72 along lateral line (53-65 in 

Chesapeake Bay). Vertebrae 24-25, 

usually 25. Gillrakers on first arch 

19-29 (21-27 in Chesapeake Bay). 

Proportions as times in standard 

length; greatest depth, 3.45-4.20; 

average depth at caudal peduncle, 

9.6; head length, 2.9-3.25. Proportions as times in head length; eye, 

3.0-4.9; longest dorsal spine, 2.3; 

second anal spine, 5.0-6.0; maxillary, 

2.5 (Hardy 1978). 

The striped bass is a major fishery resource of both recreational and 

commercial importance. It has a wide 

natural range and thrives in many 

freshwater, estuarine, and marine 

habitats. The striped bass can be 

considered a "generalist" in many 

respects and tolerant of a variety of 

envi ronmental conditions. However, 

certain critical life stages and physiological activities of the striped bass 

are strongly influenced by environmental factors, which act to limit survival and abundance of the species 

(Bain and Bain 1982a). 

The mid-Atlantic coast is particularly important for striped bass, 

because most of the major Atlantic 

coast spawning grounds and an extensive recreational fishery occur within 

the region. 

LIFE HISTORY 

Reproductive Physiology/Strategy 

Striped bass are heterosexual, 

though hermaph roditism has been 

reported (Schultz 1931; Morgan and 

Gerlach 1950; Westin 1978). Females 

grow larger than males, and most 

striped bass over 13.6 kg (30.0 Ib) 

are females (Bigelow and Schroeder 

1953). 

Most male bass mature during 

their second year, and all are mature 

by age three. Most females mature 

during their fourth (Delaware and 

Potomac Rivers, Upper Chesapeake 

Bay) or fifth (Connecticut and Hudson 

Rivers) year, and all are mature by 

their sixth year (Pearson 1938; Bason 

1971 ; Texas Instruments, Inc. 1975a; 

Wilson et al. 1976). 

Striped bass are polygamous and 

egg fertilization is external (Setzler et 

al. 1980). Fecundity of striped bass is 
j 

I 

I highly correlated with weight, length, i 

! and age (Westin and Rogers 1978). 1 Documented total fecundity estimates 

\ range from 15,000 eggs in a 46-cm 

I (18.1 - inch) fish (Mansueti and Hollis 

1963) to 40,507,500 in a 13-year-old, 

14.5-kg (32.0-lb) fish (Jackson and 

Tiller 1952). Mean fecundity estimates 

(or ranges) for representative ages of 

I 

striped bass from several mid-Atlanti

areas are, given in Table 1. Not a

ova present in a female will mature i

1 year. Generally, 10% to 30% of th

ova of a female striped bass mature i

a season, particularly in larger, olde

bass (Jackson and Tiller 1952; Lew

and Bonner 1963). 

Table 1. Mean fecundities (or range if mean unavailable) of striped bass of I representative spawning ages, lengths, and weights, from various mid-Atlantic 

areas. 

Age Thousands of Weight Length, 

Locati on (yrs) mature ova (kg) ( cmFL ) Source 

Hudson 

Ri ver 

Hudson 

Ri ve r 

Hudson 

Ri ver 

Chesapeake 

Bay 

~hesapeake 

Bay Chesapeake 

Bay Chesapeake 

Bay Po tomac 

Ri ver 

Roanoke 

Ri ve r 

Roanoke 

Ri ve r 

Roanoke 

Ri ve r 

Offshore, 

N. Carolina 

Offshore, 

N. Carolina 

Offshore, 

N. Carolina 

Offshore, 

N. Carolina 

Texas Instruments, 

Inc. (1973) 

Texas Instruments 

Ihc. (1973) 

Texas Instruments, 

Inc. (1973) 

Jackson and Tille

(1 952) 

Jackson and Tille

(1952) 

Jackson and Tille

(1952) 

Jackson and Tille

(1 952) 

Hollis (1967) 

Lewis and Bonner 

(1966) 

Lewis and Bonner 

(1966) 

Lewis and Bonner 

(1966) 

Holland and 

Ye1 verton (1973) 

Holland and 

Ye1 verton (1973) 

Holland and 

Ye1 verton (1 973) 

Holland and 

Ye1 verton (1973) 

a~~ = fork length. 
(Lewis and Bonner 1966), and Hudson 

River, New York (Texas Instruments, 

Inc. 1973), that predict the number of 

mature ova in a striped bass from its 

weight. Similar relationships are 

available for fecundity based on body 

weight, length, and age of striped 

bass off the North Carolina coast 

(Holland and Yelverton 1973) . 

Spawning 

Striped bass are anadromous, 

spawning once a year in fresh or 

nearly fresh water. Along the Atlantic 

coast, the spawning. period ranges 

from mid-February in Florida to June 

and July in the Gulf of St. Lawrence 

(Bigelow and Schroeder 1953; Barkuloo 1970). Table 2 gives spawning 

seasons and peaks for some of the 

major striped bass spawning areas of 

the mid-Atlantic region. The months 

of April, May, and June span the time 

of nearly all spawning activities in the 

mid-Atlantic region. , 

The principal spawning areas for 

striped bass along the Atlantic coast 

are found in Chesapeake Bay and its 

tributaries (Merriman 1941 ; Raney 

1957; Kernehan et al. 1981). Spawning 

locations for selected areas of the 

mid-Atlantic region are given in Table 

3. Kernehan et al. (1981) suggested 

that previous, inadequate sampling 

had underestimated the importance of 

the Upper Chesapeake Bay as striped 

bass spawning grounds. Other 

researchers stated that the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal (C-D Canal) is 

the most important mid-Atlantic region 

spawning area (Hollis 1967; Dovel 

1971; Dovel and Edmunds 1971; Warsh 

1977). Based on total eggs spawned 

in an area, data from Kernehan et al. 

(1981) showed that, for the years 

1973-1977, Upper Chesapeake Bay 

from Turkey Point southeast to Worton 

Point is far more important than the 

relatively small C-D Canal. 

females remain offshore until shortly 

before spawning (Vladykov and Wallace 1952; Trent and Hassler 1968; 

Holland and Yelverton 1973) . After 

arrival of the females on the spawning 

grounds, characteristic mating behavior consists of a single female surrounded by up to 50 males, at or near 

the surface (Setzler et al. 1980). 

Eggs are broadcast loosely in the 

water, and normal spawning duration 

for a single female is less than 4 hr 

(Lewis and Bonner 1966). 

Spawning peaks are apparently 

triggered by a noticeable increase in 

water temperature, general Iy beginning at temperatures of at least 14OC 

(57 OF), though spawning at lower 

temperatures has, been observed 

(Johnson and Koo 1975; Mihursky et 

al. 1976; Westin and Rogers 1978). 

Eggs 

Live striped bass eggs are characteristically transparent, green to 

golden green, spherical, nonadhesive, 

and semibuoyant, with a single large 

oil globule and a wide perivitelline 

space (Raney 1952; Mansueti and Mansueti 1955; Westin and Rogers 1978). 

Fully water-hardened eggs (1-2 hr 

after fertilization) range from 1.3 mm 

(Murawski 1969) to 4.6 mml (Albrecht 

1964) in diameter. Mean diameter in 

the C-D Canal was reported at 3.4 mm 

(Johnson and Koo 1975). Striped 

bass eggs average 280 mg total wet 

weight (Eldridge et al. 1977), and 0.3 

mg dry weight (Westin and Rogers 

1978) . 

Striped bass eggs hatch from 29 

to 80 hr after fertilization, depending 

on water temperature (Setzler et al. 

1980). Two equations have been 

reported for calculating hatching time 

of striped. bass eggs (Polgar et al. 

1976; Rogers et al. 1977). The equation from Polgar et al. (1976) is: 

1 25.4 mm = 1 inch. 

5 
Table 2. Spawning seasons and peaks (where available) for striped bass from 

major spawning areas along the mid-Atlantic region. 

Location Season Peak Source(s) 

North Carolina Late .4pri 1 , May Chesapeake Bay April, May, 

early June 

Ches. -Del . Canal Mid-April to 

mid- June 

Potomac Ri ver Mid-April to 

mi d- June 

De 1 aware Ri ver Late Clay to 

mi d-July 

Hudson River Mid-May to 

mid June 

April 20 to 

May 10 

April 23 to 

May 8 

June 

Last 2 wks. 

of May 

Chapoton and Sykes 

(1961 ) 

Chapoton and Sykes 

(1 961 ) ; Dovel (1 97

Kernehan et al. 

(1 981 ) 

Setzler-Hami 1 ton 

et al. (1981) 

Raney (1952) 

Raney (1 952) ; Rath je

and Miller (1957) 

Table 3. Spawning grounds and peak locations (where available) for major m

Atlantic striped bass populations. 

Distance upstream Peak location 

Locati on from mouth (km) distance (km) Source (s ) 

Roanoke Ri ver 

York River 

Potomac River 

Po tomac Ri ver 

Ches. -Dele 

Canal 

Upper Chesapeake 

Bay Del aware River 

Hudson River 

Throughout 

Canal 

Turkey Pt. to 

Worton Pt. 

107.5-231.6 

Fi rst 46 kn 

of freshwater 

Fish and McCoy (195

Dovel and Edmunds 

(1971 ) 

Ri nal do (1971 ) 

Boynton et a1 . (1977

Setzler-Hami 1 ton 

et al. (1981) 

Kernehan et al. 

(1 981 ) 

Kernehan et al. 

(1 981 ) 

Murawski (1 969) 

Rathjen and Miller 

(1 957) 

a S ecific peak locations: 1974, Douglas Point (km 116); 1975, between Marylan

hm 107) and Indian Head (km 139); 1976, Possum Point (km 128); 1977, Ka

;and Point (km 107) and Douglas Point (km 116) (Seltzer-Hamilton et al. 1981 )
where I is incubation time in hours 

and T is incubation temperature in 

degrees C. 

Larvae 

Surv'ival of the striped bass larval stagd is considered to be most 

crucial for future population abundance otf mid-Atlantic striped bass 

stocks. In combination with environmental conditions during early life 

stages, survival rate of larvae probably 

determines the occurrence of occasional dominant year classes, so evident in striped bass populations (Bain 

and Bain 1982a). 

At hatching, striped bass larvae 

range in length from 2.0 to 3.7 mm, 

with a mean of 3.1 mm. Yolk sac 

absorption time varies from 3 to 9 

days, depending upon water temperature (Albrecht 1964; Eldridge et al. 

1977; Rogers et al. 1977). Yolk sac 

larvae attempt to remain near the surface, but sink between swimming 

efforts. They require enough turbulence to keep them from settling to 

the bottom where they are often 

smothered (Pearson 1938; Raney 1952; 

Mansueti 1958a; Barkuloo 1970). In 

laboratory aquaria, yolk sac larvae 

were able to swim horizontally and 

exhibited positive phototaxis at 4-5 

days (McGill 1967). 

Figure 3 illustrates the morphology of 6.2 -mm finfold larvae (Hardy 

1978), 12.0-mm postfinfold larvae, and 

29.0 -mm juvenile striped bass (Mansueti 1958a). More detailed descriptions and drawings of early developmental stages of striped bass are 

given in Pearson (1938), Bigelow and 

Schroeder (1953), Mansueti (1958a), 

Doroshev (1970), Hardy (1978) and 

Westin and Rogers (1978). 

The finfold stage lasts an average of 11 days (Polgar et al. 1975), 

(g

et al. 1977). Rogers et al. (1977) 

found the following durations for the 

larval stage (finfold and postfinfold 

stages combined) at different temperatures: at 15"~ (59 ?=) - 68 dayslo at 

18°C (64°F) - 33 days, at 21"~ (70 F) 

- 24 days, and at 24 "C (75 OF) - 23 

days. 

Setzler-Hamilton et al. (1981 ) and 

Kernehan et al. (1981) provided 

extensive information concerning the 

horizontal and vertical distribution of 

striped bass eggs, yolk sac larvae, 

finfold larvae, and postfinfold larvae, 

in the Potomac River Estuary and the 

C-D Canal, respectively. Generally, 

larval stages remained in or near the 

area spawned, and apparent change in 

location was upstream in the Potomac 

Estuary, despite a net downstream 

flow of water (Setzler-Hamilton et al. 

1981). Two mechanisms were proposed to explain this observation 

(originally proposed in Polgar et al. 

1976) : 

1) Active spawning stock continually migrates upstream 

over .time; therefore Samples indicate an "upstream 

movement" of larvae. 

2) Differential (higher) mortality of early-spawned 

versus late-spawned larvae. 

Additionally, post yolk-sac stages 

tended to be midchannel-oriented and 

in highest concentrations near the 

river or estuary bottom (Kernehan et 

al. 1981). 

Juveniles 

The duration of the juvenile 

phase (from metamorphosis to sexua

maturity) varies with sex. In the 

mid-Atlantic region, male bass from 25 

mm (1 inch) to approximately 300 mm 

(12 inches) and female bass from 25 
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Since more than 50°0 of the Atlantic coast striped bass catch originates 

from spawning grounds in Chesapeake 

Bay (Setzler et al. 1980), spawning 

success and young-of-the-year survival in the Chesapeake Bay area may 

largely determine subsequent striped 

bass catches and stock sizes from 

Long Island to Maine (Tiller 1950; 

Raney 1952; Mansueti 1961). Koo 

(1970) concluded that Chesapeake Bay 

striped bass between ages 2 and 3 

contributed significantly to the entire 

Atlantic coast fishery. Kohlenstein 

(1981 ) showed that approximately 50% 

of the 3-year-old female striped bass 

in Chesapeake Bay, and a smaller 

percentage of 2- and 4-year-old 

females, moved to the coast to join the 

migration annually. In contrast, few 

males of that age were migratory. 

Berggren and Lieberman (1978) used 

discriminate function analysis to show 

that 90.2% of the coastal striped bass 

fishery from southern Maine to Cape 

Hatteras was derived from fish 

a spawned in Chesapeake Bay. Two 

other studies supporting the importance of the Chesapeake Bay - derived 

striped bass for maintaining observed 

seasonal abundance in northern waters 

are Schaefer (1968a) and Austin and 

Custer (1977). 

A portion of the migratory stocks 

of striped bass enters and overwinters 

in mid-coastal rivers such as the 

Hudson, fvlullica, and Delaware. However, these fish make up only a small 

percentage of the total migratory population (Westin and Rogers 1978). 

Along with migratory stocks, 

portions (sometimes large) of adult 

striped bass stocks of the mid-Atlantic 

region remain in or near their areas 

of origin. This is supported by tagging studies in the Hudson RiverLong Island Sound area (Raney et al. 

1954; Clark 1968; Schaefer 1968b; 

peake Bay (Mansueti 19611, Upper 

Chesapeake Bay (Moore and Burton 

1975), the Potomac River (Nichols and 

Miller 1967; Miller 1969), and Virginia 

rivers (IVassman and Pacheco 1961 1. 

In almost every study, some tagged 

bass appeared to remain in the same 

area all year, while others were 

recaptured 1000 km (621 mi) or more 

from the release area. It is not 

known why some striped bass migrate 

and others do not. 

A recently documented tagging 

study (McLaren et al. 1981) on the 

Hudson River indicated that most 

adult fish remained all year within 50 

km (31 mi) of tagging sites. Most 

fish that moved out of the Long Island 

Sound area moved northeastward. The 

most northerly recapture area over 2 

years of study was Provincetown, 

Massachusetts. In contrast to what 

has been reported for Chesapeake Bay 

striped bass, no dependence on age, 

size, or sex was found for the migratory segment of the Hudson River 

population. Evidence indicated that 

the Hudson River population was most 

likely self-perpetuating and self-contained within the river and immediate 

surrounding coastal area. Little evidence existed for mingling of Chesapeake and Hudson stocks, either during migrations or within overwintering 

populations (McLaren et al. 1981). 

Local movements of adult striped 

bass also have been investigated. 

Great numbers of striped bass appear 

to ride tidal flows from one locality to 

another (Kerr 1953). Results from 

sonic tracking in the C-D Canal indicated that movements were made in a 

"rest and go" manner, often with 

lengthy rest periods. If currents 

moved in a desirable direction, the 

fish swam or drifted with the current. 

In an opposing current, the fish 

remained stationary. There was little 

difference between day and night 

movements (Koo and Wilson 1972). 
Schooling is typical for striped 

bass as Iarge as 4.5 k5 (9.9 15). 

Larger fish school at various times, 

but individuals over 13.6 kg (30.0 15) 

are more often found singly or in 

small groups (Raney 1952; Bigelow 

and Schroeder 1953). Striped bass 

appear to school by size rather than 

age (Westin and Rogers 1978). Vladykov and Wallace (1938) concluded 

that striped bass school movements 

were based on schooled prey fish 

movements, rather than isotherms or 

salinity variations. 

Striped bass females up to 29 

years old (29.5 kg or 65.0 Ib) (Merriman 1941) and 17 years old (1158 mm 

or 45.6 inches) (Frisbie 1967) have 

been reported from natural environments. A female in captivity lived 21 

years ' (Westin and Rogers 1978). 

Striped bass over 12 years old are 

rare, and are almost always female 

(Westin and Rogers 1978; Setzler et 

al. 1980). The maximum recorded 

weight for a striped bass was a 

56.7- kg (125.0-lb) female taken from 

North Carolina waters in 1891 (Setzler 

et al. 1980). 

Parasites and diseases of striped 

bass have been studied and reported 

by Paperna and Zwerner (1976) and 

Bonn et al. (1976). Summary tables 

of parasite and disease literature are 

provided in Westin and Rogers (1978), 

Smith and Wells (19771, and Setzler et 

al. (1980). The most commonly 

reported diseases of striped bass are 

fin rot disease, pasteurellosis, columnaris, lymphocystis, and epitheliocystis (Setzler et al. 1980). The most 

commonly occurring abnormality of 

striped bass is "pugheadedness," a 

foreshortening of the head and face 

area. Researchers have speculated 

that its cause is genetic or genetic/ 

environmental in origin, rather than a 

result of mechanical damage to the 

head in early life stages (fvlansueti 

1958b; Westin and Rogers 1978). 

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS 

Growth Rates 

The growth rate for striped bass 

up to 70 crn (27.6 inches) can be calculated from scales with the for-mula: 

where L = total length of fish (cm), 

L' = scale radius, I = change in total 

length, and I' = ratio of radius to 

annulus in question (Setzler et al. 

1980). Other body length to scale 

relationships are given in Robinson 

(1960), Mansueti (19611, Lawler et al. 

(1974), , and Texas Instruments, Inc. 

(1974). Conversion factors between 

fork length (FL), standard length 

(SL), and total length (TL) values for 

striped bass are reported in Mansueti 

(1961 ), Trent (1962), Texas I nstruments, Inc. (1973), and Westin and 

Rogers (1978) . 

Trent (1962) observed a nearly 

linear growth rate for young-of-theyear striped bass from Albemarle 

Sound, North Carolina. 

rates ranged from 0.272 to 0.433 mm/ Observed a

day, for the period June to November, over 5 years of study. Total 

length at the end of the first growing 

season averaged 100 mm. Studies by 

Rathjen and Miller (1957) and Texas 

I nstrurnents, Inc. (1975b) also 

reported nearly linear growth rates 

for Hudson River young-of-the-year 

striped bass between June and 

November. Growth rate was greatest 

during June and July, and averaged 

0.45 mm/day over the growing season 

(Rathjen and Miller 1957). I nstantaneous growth ' in weight for Hudson 

River young-of-the-year ranged from 

0.0311 to 0.0407 for the months of 

July and August, and -0.0157 to 

0.0145 for the months of October and 

November (Texas I nstruments, I nc. 

1976). Dey (1981 ) reported young-of - 

the-year growth rates in the Hudson 

Natural logarithm of ratio of final 

weight to init~al weight, for a unit 

of time. 
dropping off rapidly through SeptemQ ber and October. The year classes 

studied by Dey (1981) generally 

showed positive correlation between 

magnitude of instantaneous growth 

rate and mean water temperature since 

peak spawning. d 

Laboratory studies of juvenile 

striped bass collected from Chesapeake 

Bay found relative growth rates of 

8.8&, 3.8%, 4.6%, and 9.100 for the 

months of October, November, May 

and June, respectively. ho growth 

occurred between December and April 

or below 10 C (50 F) . Maximum 

growth occurred at 20 OC (68 O F). 

Growth of juven~le striped bass in the 

Patuxent River, Maryland, was highest In July, followed by August, 

June, September, May, and October. 

No growth occurred between November 

and April (Koo and Ritchie 1973). 

Nicholson (1964) found that cornpensatory growth (reduction of size 

variation within age classes as age 

increases) occurred for age 2 and 

some age 3 striped bass in Albemarle 

Sound, North Carolina. Table 4 summarizes mean lengths and annual 

increments for striped bass age 1-12 

from various areas along the mid-Atlantic coast (data for separate sexes 

given where available). Males and 

females generally grow at the same 

rate until age 4, when females mature 

and begin to grow faster. This is 

illustrated in Figure 4 for male and 

female striped bass from Chesapeake 

Bay (Mansueti 1961). 

Lenath-Weiaht Relations hi~s 

Three studies have developed 

length-weight relationships for 

young-of-the-year and yearling 

striped bass combined. These relationships are, for the Hudson River, 

log10 (wt) = 2.94 loglc (L) - 4.886, 

(units, gm and mm TL) (Texas 

Instruments, Inc. 1973); for the 

c-- Females 

I AGE IN YEARS 

Fiqur? 4. It i of iiia!.? ,?n:

fe:liale stri pcd bas5 I ti) 11 year's 

old, fro12 Chesapeake (f:dns~~

1961). 

Rappahannock River, Virginia, log10 

(wt) = 3.073 logl0 (L) - 5.081, 

(units, gm and mm FL) (Kerby 1972); 

and for Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, loglii (wt) = 2.9198 logI CL) - 

1.8462, (units, mg and mm TL) 

(Trent 1962). Length-weight relationships for adult striped bass (males 

and females separate, when available) 

f rom various mid-Atlantic areas are 

presented in Table 5. Throughout 

their range, mature male striped bass 

weigh less than mature females of the 

same length (Merriman 1941 ; Mansuet

1961 1. 

Trent (1962) reported that condition factors (K) ranged from 0.984 to 

1.471 for young bass 18.5 to 91 mm 
Table 4. Vean fork lengths (FL in mm) and annual increments (A1 in nim) for 

striped bars ages 1-12 fro171 various nid-Atlantic areas. 

a Loca ti on CN PP Cii C P P R P P PS 

~exb li u v F - ~4 - F [I 

Age FL $41 FL A1 FL A1 FL A1 FL A1 FL A1 FL 

a CN = Connecticut (r'errirnarl 1941), DR = Pelawdre River (?ason 1971), CB = 

Chesapeake Bay (t1ansueti 1961), PR = Potolrlac River (Jones zt a1 . lQ771, 

PS = Pa1111 ico Sound, Iiorth Carol i na (I.larshal1 1976). 

b PI = nial es, F = females, R = both sexes cornl3i ned. 

C Sample si ze of one fi sh. 
Table 5. Predictive length-wei ght regressions for striped bass from various 

areas of the mid-Atlantic region. All regression$ are of the equational form 

log (wt) = a log,,, (L) + b, except the Potomac River regressions, which are 

In tit) = a in (L) t b. 

Samp 1 e Sl ope Intercept Uni ts b 

Location year(s) sexa (a) (b) L Source 

Massachusetts 1956-1959 B 2.9616 -3.2838 inFL 

Rhode Island 1973-1975 B 1.533 -2.321 cmFL 

Fri sbie (1 967) 

Rogers et a1 . (1 977) 

Texas Instruments, 

Inc. (1973) 

Texas Instruments, 

Inc. (1973) 

Lawler et al. 

(1 974) 

Texas Instruments , Inc. (1975b) 

Texas Instruments, 

Inc. (1975b) 

Bason (1971 ) 

Bason (1971 ) 

Bason (1971 ) 

Bason (1971 ) 

Bason et a1 . (1975) 

Mansueti (1961 ) 

Mansueti (1961 ) 

Rogers et al. 

(1 977) 

Wilson et al. 

(1 976) 

Wilson et a1 . (1976) 

Nilson et al. 

(1 976) 

Wilson et a1 . (1976) 

Wilson et al. 

(1 976) 

Wilson et al. 

(1 976) 

Hudson River 1972 M 2.956 -4.880 mm1-L 

Hudson River 1972 F 3.130 -5.340 mmTL 

Hudson River 1971-1972 B 2.839 -1.825 cm? 

Hudson River 1974 M 3.265 -5.750 mmTL 

Hudson River 1974 F 3.424 -6.180 mmTL 

Delaware River 1968 M 3.031 

Delaware River 1968 F 2.948 

Delaware River 1969 M 3.000 

Delaware River 1969 F 2.911 

Ches .-Del . 1974 B 3.0501 

Canal 

Chesapeake Bay 1957-1958 M 3.234 

Chesapeake Bay 1957-1958 F 3.153 

Nanticoke River,l974-1975 B 2.894 

Mary1 and 

Potomac Ri ver 1974 M 2.9910 

nm FL 

mmFL 

mm FL 

mmFL 

mmFL 

Potomac Ri ver 1974 F 2.9984 -11.0943 mmFL 

Potomac Ri ver 1975 M 2.8670 -10.2610 mmFL 

Potomac Ri ver 1975 F 2.9388 -10.6706 mmFL 

Po tomac Ri ve r 1976 M 3.0419 -11.3208 mmFL 

Potomac River 1976 F 2.7727 -9.5418 mmFL 

SI M = males, F = females, B = sexes combined. 

Original units of length-wei ght regressions. 
TL in Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. Texas Instruments, Inc. (1973) 

calculated condition factors for striped 

bass 200-800 mm TL from the Hudson 

River and Chesapeake Bay (using data 

from Mansueti 1961 1. These factors 

ranged from 0.91 to 1.1 for Hudson 

River bass and 0.87 to 1.35 for Chesapeake Bay bass. 

THE FISHERY 

/ 

Commercial Fisheries 

The commercial catch of striped 

bass during the last decade has fallen off from a record harvest of 6335 

metric tons (mt) in 1973 and 5023 mt 

in 1974, to 1594mt, 2041 mt, and 1740 

mt in 1979, 1980, and 1981, respectively. The values of the 1950 and 

1981 commercial catches were 

S4,902,000 and $5,272,009, respectively. The dominant year class of 

1970 was last readily available to commercial gear in 1973 and 1974. Of the 

annual commercial landings, 98% or 

more have been taken by United 

States fishing boats, the remainder by 

Canada. The majority of the commercial catch (> 90%) has occurred in the 

northwest Atlantic region (St. Lawrence River to Virginia). In 1981, 

97.98 of the commerc~al catch occurred 

in waters less than 4.8 km (3 mi) 

from the coast, while the remaining 

2.18 was caught between 4.8 and 320 

km (3 and 200 mi) offshore. (National 

Marine Fisheries Service 1978, 1979, 

1980, 1981, 1982a). Since 1930, 

Maryland and Virginia have produced 

the highest commercial landings, followed by New York, North Carolina, 

and in recent years, Massachusetts 

(Setzler et al. 1980). 

A variety of commercial gear has 

been employed to catch striped bass, 

depending on geographical area and 

state regulations, which vary considerably. Stationary gill nets, drift gill 

nets, haul seines, fyke nets, pou

nets, fish traps, and hoop nets a

the most commonly used gear type

Stationary gill nets, illegal everywhe

except Virginia and the Potom

River, have been very effectiv

Haul seines in New York, pound ne

in New Jersey, and fish traps 

Rhode Island are the most popul

gear types (Setzler et al. 1980

Pound, fyke, and bow nets are nons

lective for striped bass, while g

nets and haul seines are consider

size selective (Tiller 1950; Vladyko

and Wallace 1952; Mansueti 196

Trent and Hassler 1968; Grant a

Joseph 1969). Setzler et al. (198

summarized commercial and recreation

fishing regulations for most Atlant

Coast States. 

The age distribution of comme

cial landings varies directly with t

availability of dominant year class

recruited to the fishery. For exam

ple, the Long Island south sho

catch in 1936 and 1937 was dominat

by 2- and 3-year-olds, respectivel

from the dominant 1934 year cla

(Merriman 1941). In 1942 and 194

the commercial catch from Chesapea

Bay was dominated by 2- a

3-year-olds from the 1940 year clas

In 1944 and 1945, a substantial num

ber of 4- and 5-year-olds from t

1940 year class, plus many 2- a

3-year-olds from the relatively stro

1942 year class, dominated the cat

(Tiller 1950). Other examples of th

occurrence are given in Frisbie a

Ritchie (19631, Davis (1966), Schaef

(1968b1, and Johnson et al. (1977

Dominant striped bass year classe

which appeared in subsequent com

mercial catches, occurred in the yea

1934, 1940, 1958, 1964, and 19

(Merriman 1941; Tiller 1950; Mansu

and Hollis 1963; Koo 1970; Schaef

1972). Other apparently strong

than average year classes occurred 

1942, 1961, and 1972 (Setzler et a

1980). 
In 1970, the striped bass ranked 

third behind bluefish and spotted 

seatrout in total weight landed by 

recreational fishermen along the 

Atlantic and Gulf coasts. From Maine 

to Cape Hatteras, IVorth Carolina, the 

striped bass ranked third behind the 4 bluefish and Atlantic mackerel 

(National Marine Fisheries Service 

1979). 4 

The recreational catch of striped 

bass has declined over the past decade, even more drastically than the 

commercial catch. Comparison of recreational and commercial landings over 

the past decade demonstrates that the 

recreational catch has dropped from 

four to five times the commercial catch 

in 1970, to approximate parity with 

the commercial catch in 1979. In 

1970, an estimated 33,015 mt of 

striped bass were landed by recreational fishermen along the Atlantic 

coast. By 1974, the catch from Maine 

to Virginia (constituting the majority 

of the Atlantic coast catch) dropped 

to 17,937 mt. In 1979, the last year 

Q with complete data available, an estimated 2917 mt of striped bass were 

landed by recreational fishermen 

(National Marine Fisheries Service 

1982b). Historical records indicate 

that the mid-Atlantic region has 

always dominated the recreational 

catch. In 1979, Maryland (68.4%) and 

New York (29.1%) contributed greatly 

to the recreational catch. Also, 71% 

of the 1979 Atlantic coast recreational 

harvest was taken within the contiguous coastline (inland coastal waters) 

(National Marine Fisheries Service 

1982b). 

Dominant year classes were 

responsible for large numbers of 2- 

and 3-year-olds occurring in the sport 

fishery catch between 1959 and 1961 

in the Potomac River, and similarly in 

the 1974 and 1975 sport fishery catch 

in Albemarle Sound, North Carolina 

(Frisbie and Ritchie 1963; Johnson et 

al. 1977). 

Minimum length limits vary from no 

limit in Delaware and South Carolina, 

to 30.5 cm (12 inches) in Maryland 

and North Carolina, 40.6 cm (16 

inches) in most States, and 45.7 cm 

(18 inches) in New Jersey. Length 

limits also differ as to FL or TL specifications. New Jersey, New York, 

and Connecticut have closed seasons 

in winter, but most States do not. 

During the spawning season in Maryland waters, all striped bass over 6.8 

kg (15.0 Ib) must be immediately 

released (Setzler et al. 1980). Inconsistencies in regulation have led in 

part to many of the management, 

enforcement, and data collection problems encountered with the Atlantic 

coast striped bass population in recen

years. Migratory versus sedentary 

striped bass stocks also complicate 

species management. Overall, the 

regulatory situation is a high-priority 

problem needing study and analysis. 

Population Dynamics 

Probably the single most important feature of striped bass population 

dynamics in relation to management is 

poor reproductive success interspersed with occasional dominant year 

classes. Most likely, environmenta

suitability during the larval stage acts 

in large part to determine year class 

success and future striped bass stock 

abundances (Bain and Bain 1982a). 

Sex ratios. During summer and 

fall in coastal waters, the sex ratio is 

generally about 9:1 in favor of 

females, particularly in the north 

(Bigelow and Sch roeder 1953; Holland 

and Yelverton 1973; -0viatt 1977). In 

the Potomac River Estuary, age specific sex ratios (proportion of males) 

were as follows: age 3 - 0.97, age 4 - 

0.94, age 5 - 0.81, age 6 - 0.31, and 

age 7 - 0.19 (Jones et al. 1977). 

Dominant year classes affect the sex 

ratio in subsequent years. For example, as females of the 1970 year class 
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variety of environmental gradients, 

and only a small fraction of the eggs 

are deposited in suitable environments. The size of the parental 

spawning stock probably does not 

affect year class strength and subsequent recruitment, as long as the 

spawning population meets some minimum requirements in reproductive 

potential (Cooper and Polgar 1981 ) . Most likely, individuals spawned during a relatively short period of optimal 

conditions for early life stages make 

up the majority of survivors for that 

year class (Setzler et al. 1980; Ulanowicz and Polgar 1980; Cooper and 

Polgar 1981 ) . 

Cooper and Polgar (1981) recommended the following management 

schemes for striped bass, based on a 

review of the most recent information 

available: 

1) Do not manage by recruitment relationships, such as 

the classical Ricker and 

Berverton-HoIt stock re - 

cruitment curves. 

2) Manage by recognizing 

dominant year classes, by 

juvenile abundance indices, 

protecting the early ages of 

the year class so as to 

maximize weight yield and 

allow sufficient spawning 

stock to reach maturity. 

3) Control and modify seasonal 

and regional commercial 

regulations and effort, in 

accordance with availability 

and age of a dominant year 

class. 

4) Unify, but not necessarily 

make uniform, the management strategy and regulations across States and 

regions. 

effects of pollutants. 

Mortality rates. Sykes et al. 

(1 961)=matedaverage commercial 

fishing mortality rate (F) in the Potomac River at 0.40 of the stock available to the gear. Kohlenstein (1981) 

estimated commercial fishing mortality 

at 0.35 for 3-year-old males in Chesapeake Bay. Street et al. (1975) estimated total annual mortality (A) in 

Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, at 

51% for fish 3 to 6 years old 

(1972-74). Total instantaneous mortality rates (Z) for Virginia and North 

Carolina coastal rivers have been 

reported between 0.66 and 0.98 (Hassler et al. 1966; Grant and Merriner 

1971 ; hlerriner and Hoagman 1973). 

The only estimate found for instantaneous natural mortality rate on the 

Atlantic coast was 0.243 for North 

Carolina striped bass (Holland and 

Yelverton 1973). Chadwick (1968), 

Sommani (1972), and Miller (1974). 

gave estimates of various mortality 

and survival rate parameters for the 

years 1958-71 in California waters. 

Between 1959 and 1971, instantaneous 

fishing mortality rates ranged from 

0.11 to 0.39. Instantaneous natural 

mortality rates ranged from 0.15 to 

0.32. 

Saila and Lorda (1977) summarized the following survival probabilities from studies of the Hudson River 

striped bass population (juvenile 

stages are of arbitrary classification) . 

Age Du ra ti on Proba bi 1 i ty 

class Stage (days) of survival 

0 Egg, yo1 k-sac 10 0.06 

0 Post yo1 k-sac 24 0.04 

0 Juvenile 1 3 0 0.20 

O Juvenile 2 145 9.51 

0 Juvenile 3 156 0.16 

1 Adult 365 0.40 

2 Adult 365 0.60 
Stock identification. Documented 

differentiation of striped bass stocks 

on the basis of meristic, morphological, and biochemical characteristics is 

as follows: 

(1) Roanoke River-Albemarle 

Sound, North Carolina: This population separates into two groups in the 

winter, with smaller fish overwintering 

in lower areas of the Roanoke River or 

in Albemarle Sound and larger fish 

(>2.7 kg, >6 Ib) overwintering on the 

ocean side of the outer banks (Chapoton and Sykes 1961). Albemarle 

Sound striped bass are distinct from 

James River, Virginia, bass and 

closely related to the York River, 

Virginia, and Rappahannock River, 

Virginia, populations, based on lateral 

line scales and morphometric characters (Lund 1957; Murawski 1958). 

(2) Chesapeake Bay: Three distinct subpopulations-- the James 

River, the York and Rappahannock 

Rivers, and Upper Bay-- are present 

within the Chesapeake drainage based 

on meristic studies (Raney 1957), gill 

raker counts (Lewis 1957), and lateral 

line scales (Murawski 1958). Lund 

(1957) concluded that four rivers 

within the Bay-- the James, York, 

Rappahannock, and Potomac-- have 

separate subpopulations based on morphometric characters. Biochemical 

characterization (by electrophoresis) 

of adult striped bass collected from 

five Chesapeake Bay tributaries du ring spawning indicates probable discrete spawning populations in at least 

three of the five rivers studied-- the 

Nanticoke, Elk, and Choptank Rivers 

(Morgan et al. 1973a). Populations in 

the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers could 

not be differentiated by electrophoresis, though both were distinct biochemically from populations in the 

other three rivers. 

(3) Delaware River: The Delaware 

River population is most closely allied 

with the James River population based 

on lateral line scale (Murawski 1958) 

and gill raker counts (Lewis 1957). 

(4) Hudson River: Hudson River 

striped bass form a distinct population 

based on meristic counts (Raney and 

de Sylva 1953), gill rakers (Lewis 

1957), lateral line scales (Mu rawski 

1958), and morphometric measurements 

(Lund 1957). 

Population dyna~nics simulations. 

Simulation modas hav?been developed 

for assessing the impact of power 

plant intake entrainment on striped 

bass life stages. Seven models were 

evaluated and discussed by Swartzman 

et al. (1977). Three of these models 

have been developed by Lawler, 

Matusky, and Skelly Engineers for the 

Hudson River, two by the Oak Ridge 

National Laboratory for the Hudson 

River and C-D Canal, and one by 

Johns Hopkins University for the C-D 

Canal. Major differences amorrg models were the choice of life stage duration and compensatory mortality 

regimes. The reader is referred to 

Swartzman et al. (1977) for review of 

these models, and to Eraslan et al. 

(1976) for a sample model (Hudson 

River). Other available models not 

discussed by Swartzman et al. (1977) 

are presented in Chadwick (19691, 

Saila and Lorda (1977), and Warsh 

(1977). 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE 

Food Habits 

Larvae/juveniIes. In laboratory 

studies, Doroshev (1970) found that 

first-feeding larvae preferred Cyclops 

nauplii and copepodites. Beaven and 

Mihursky (1980) reported positive 

electivity of larger copepods and cladocerans and negative electivity of 

copepod nauplii and rotifers in a sample of 605 larvae from the Potomac 

River. In the Hudson River, striped 

bass up to 75 mm preferred Gammarus 

spp. , calanoid copepods, and chironornid larvae. Bass from 76-125 mrn 
Microqadus tomcod (Texas Instruments, Inc. 1976). 

Young bass (<70 mm) in the York 

and James Rivers consumed primarily 

mysids and insects, respectively. 

Bass between 70 and 150 mm fed primarily on gobies (Gobiosoma bosci) in 

the York River and decapod shrimp 

(Palaemonetes spp.) in the James 

River (Markle and Grant 1970). In 

the Delaware River, young striped 

bass (50-100 mm) fed primarily on 

Neomysis americana and Crangon septemspinosa. In low salinity tidal 

creeks of the Delaware drainage, fish, 

decapods, amphipods, and mysids 

were the most important food items 

(Bason 1971). Juvenile bass (40-100 

mm) from Chesapeake Bay also fed on 

Neomysis americana, as well as =- 

marus and Corophium spp. Bass 

between 100 and 270 mm fed on bav 

anchovies (Anchoa mitchilli) and various invertebrates [Bason et al. 19751. 

Several investigators (e.g., ~arkle 

and Grant 1970; Bason 1971) stated 

that prey selection by young striped 

bass varies with the salinity of the 

juvenile environment and the corresponding food item availability. 

Adults. Hollis (19521 found that 

adult striped bass in ~hesa~eake Bay 

were primarily piscivorous, with fish 

making up 95.5% by weight of the 

total diet. During summer and fall, 

bay anchovy and Atlantic menhaden 

(Brevoortia tyrannus) were principal 

prey, while in winter, spot (Leiosto- 

- 

gonias 

mus xanthurusl 

undulatus) 

and 

dominated 

croaker 

the 

IMicro~oI 

diet. 

. Fish, primarily clupeids, constituted 96.2% of the summer diet of 

striped bass in Albemarle Sound, 

D North Carolina. Engraulids were 

found most frequently in the diet 

during the fall. Winter forage included 

a higher percentage of invertebrates, 

compared to the summer season. 

During the spring, blue crabs 

(1977) reported that, in general, 

striped bass feedins inshore ate 

~tlantic menhaden, whjle fish captured 

offshore fed on .sand lance (Ammodvtesl . 

A fish-dominated diet does 

not occur for all adult mid-Atlantic' 

striped bass stocks. Schaefer (1970) 

found that in Long Island Sound, 

striped bass between 275 and 399 mm 

FL primarily fed on Gammarus, Haustorius canadensis, and Neomysis americana. Bass between 400 and 599 mm 

FL fed equally on fish (Anchoa mitchilli, Menidia menidia, and Stenotomus 

chrysops) and amphipods. Bass 

between 600 and 940 mm FL fed more 

on fish than other size groups (65% of 

dietary volume), but still consumed 

amphipods, mysids, and lady crabs 

(Ovalipes ocellatus) . 

Other stomach contents recorded 

from adult striped bass include alewife 

(Alosa pseudoharengus), blueback 

herring (Alosa aestivalis), mummichog 

(Fundulus heteroclitus), striped mullet 

(Mugil cephalus), rainbow smelt 

(Osmerus mordax) , weakfish (Cynosgio~ regalis), white perch (Morone 

americana), silver hake (Merluccius 

bilinearis), American eel (Anguilla 

rostratal ~ ., . American lobster [Homarus 

americanus), squid (I lex and Loligo), 

and various crab, clam, and mussel 

species (Smith and Wells 1977). 

Feeding Behavior 

The striped bass is an opportunistic, carnivorous species, swallowing 

prey whole if possible (Westin and 

Rogers 1978). Striped bass do not 

feed steadily; rather whole schools 

feed together at certain intervals 

(Raney 1952). Factors initiating feeding behavior have not been investigated. When feeding on schooling 

prey species, striped bass follow the 

school, periodically gorge themselves, 

and then drop down in the water 
column to digest their prey (Setzler et 

al. 1980). When a specific preferred 

food item is abundant, striped bass 

tend to concentrate on the abundant 

resource and ignore other available 

food items (Smith and Wells 1977). 

Miller (1980) reported that 

young-of-the-year striped bass in 

Chesapeake Bay exhibited feeding 

activity peaks at twilight. The feeding intensity of adult striped bass 

varies with time of day and season. 

Generally, adults feed heavily just 

after dark and just before dawn 

(Raney 1952). It has also been noted 

that feeding rate of adults drops off 

temporarily in late spring and summer, probably in connection with 

spawning activities (Hollis 1952; Stevens 1966; Trent and Hassler 1966). 

Predators 

Little direct information exists 

concerning predation on striped bass 

in coastal waters. Most likely, .large 

bluefish (Pomatomus sa1tatri.x) ind 

weakfish prey on small striped bass. 

Adult and juvenile white perch probably consume large numbers of striped 

bass larvae. Smith and Kernehan 

(1981 ) found significant predation on 

striped bass larvae by the free-living 

copepod Cyclops bicuspidatus. 

Competitors 

Though direct evidence is lacking, other large piscivores like blue - fish (Pomatomus saltatrix) and weakfish 

(Cynoscion regalis) probably compete 

with adult striped bass for schoolina 

forage species .' Larval and juvenile 

striped bass share common nursery 

areas with white perch (Morone ameri- 

-), which are usually more abundant, and some competition for food 

resources probably occurs (Mihursky 

et al. 1976). 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS 

Habitat Suitability Index Models 

A habitat suitability index mode 

for coastal stocks of striped bass was 

developed by Bain and Bain (1982a). 

The model uses data on habitat 

parameters to produce a single index 

of habitat suitability for each combination of life stage and environmental 

factor. A summary of reviews and 

comments by a large number of managers and species experts (Bain and 

Bain 1582b) indicated that the model 

was perceived as a useful and easily 

applied tool. However, some comments 

suggested that the model was to some 

extent an oversimplification and too 

rigid for high site specific accuracy. 

Much has been done to delineate 

environmental requirements and tolerances of striped bass life stages. Five 

natural environmental factors (temperature, salinity, temperature-salinity 

interaction, current velocity, and turbidity/total dissolved solids) are most 

important and will be discussed in 

separate sections. Additionally, 

environmental requirements of the eg 

and larval stages are most crucial th% 

(Bain and Bain 1982a). Summaries of 

other environmental requirements and 

more detailed information on those 

listed above are presented in Tables 

6, 7, and 8 for the egg, larval, and 

combined juvenile/adult life stages, 

respectively. Impingement on power 

plant intake screens, thermal pollution 

discharge, and environmental contaminants, are man-caused factors and are 

treated separately. 

Temperatu re 

Mansueti (1958a) found that 

striped bass egg5 tolerated temperatures between 14 and 23°C (57" and 

73 OF). Optimum temperatures for egg 

development were 17°-200~ (63"-68 OF) 

(Mansueti 1958a) and 18'-21 "C (64"-70' 

F) (Rogers et al. 1977). Lethal 

temperatures iound for eggs were 

below 12°C (54 F) [Shannon and Smith 
() (g

1973). 

a Davies (1970) reported that 

striped bass larvae tolerated temperatures between 10 ' and 25' C (50" and 

77 OF). Optimum temperatures for larval survival were 15 '-22°C (59'-72'F) 

(Davies 1970) and 18'-21 'C (64'-70°F) 

(Rogers et at. 1977). Lethal temperatures for larvae have been given as 

below 10' C (50' F) (Davies 1970) and 

above 28°C (82°F) (Kelly and Chadwick 1971). Rogers and Westin (1981) 

found that temperature interacted with 

first larval feeding time to determine 

survival. Time to death for unfed larvae was longer at lower temperatures 

within the range of 15" -24°C (59' -75" 

F). 

p

(

(20-50 mmTL) and <30° C (<86' F) 

(50-100 mmTL) (Bogdanov et al. 

1967). Juveniles acclimated to higher 

temperatures exhibited higher lethal 

limits than those acclimated to lower 

temperatures (Loeber 1951). Transfers of juvenile striped bass from 12.8O 

C and 21.1 'C (55" F and 70 OF) environments to 7.2'C (45' F) were lethal, 

but the reciprocal transfer (cold to 

warm) was not (Tagatz 1961). This 

agrees with the premise that fish 

acclimate more easily to rising temperatures than to falling temperatures. 

Adult striped bass were reported to 

tolerate temperatures f rom 0"-30°c(32"- 

86'F) with no apparent ill effects 

(Tagatz 1961). 

Tab1 e 6. Tolerance, optimal , and lethal val ues for selected environmental factors 

on striped bass eggs. 

Environmental 

factor Tolerance Optimum Lethal Source 

Temperature (OC) 14-23 17-20 

a Mansueti (1958a) 

18-21 <I za Rogers et a1 . (1 977) 

>2 3 Shannon and Smith (1968) 

Sal ini ty (ppt) 0-10 1.5-3.0 Mansueti (1958a) 

0-9 1.7 Albrecht (1964) 

0-8 Morgan and Rasin (1973) 

Dissolved O2 <I. 5b Mansueti (1958a) 

(m!3/ a) <5.0 Turner and Farley (1971) Turbidity (mgla) 0-500 >I000 Auld and Schubel (1978) 

P H 6.6-9.0 Bowker et a1 . (1969) Current vel oci ty 30.5-500 100-200 Mansueti (1958a) 

(cm/s) <30.5 A1 brech t (1 964) ? 

a C Values were given as lethal only after prolonged exposure. 

Value was given as "predisposing to other mortality sources," rather than 

directly lethal. 
Salinity 

Salinity tolerance of striped bass 

eggs has been reported at 0-10 ppt 

(Mansueti 1958a1, 0-9 ppt (Albrecht 

1964), and 0-8 ppt (Morgan and Rasin 

1973). Optimum salinities for egg 

development were 1 .5-3.0 ppt (Mansueti 1958a) and 1.7 ppt (Albrecht 

1964). , Yolk sac and post-yolk sac 

larvae were reported to tolerate salinities of 0-15 ppt (Albrecht 1964; 

Regan et al. 1968) and 0-25 ppt 

(Rogers and Westin 1978), respectively. Optimum salinities for yolk 

sac and post-yolk sac larvae were 

5-15 ppt and 5-25 ppt, respectively 

(Rogers and Westin 1978). 

Table 7. Tolerance, optimal , and lethal values for selected environmental factor

in relation to striped bass larval stages. 

Environmental Experimental 

factor condi ti ons Tolerance Optimum Lethal Source 

Temperature (OC) 

Salinity (ppt) 

1-6 days 

7-1 3 days 

14-20 days 

21-29 days 

30-35 days 

Yo1 k-sac 

Post yo1 k-sac 

Dissolved 0, Yo1 k-sac 

(ms/d Post yo1 k-sac 

Turbi di ty Y 01 k-sac 

(mg/~ 48 hr LDSo 

Current vel oci ty 

(cm/s 

Regan et al. 

(1 968) 

<I0 Davies (1970) 

Ro ers et al. 

71 977) 

>28a Kelly and 

Chadwi ck (1 971 ) 

Regan et al. 

(1 968) 

La1 et al. (1977) 

La1 et al. (1977) 

La1 et al. (1977) 

La1 et al. (1977) 

La1 et al. (1977) 

Rogers and 

Westin (1978) 

Rogers and 

Westi n (1 978) 

c2.3 Rogers and 

Wes ti n (1 978) 

c2.4 Rogers and 

Wes ti n (1 978) 

>500a Auld and Schubel 

(1 978) 3411 Morganetal. 

(1 973b) 

Regan et al. 

(1 968) 

Regan et al. 

(1 968) 

a Values were given as lethal only after prolonged exposure. 
gp

bass larvae as follows: 3.4 ppt (1-6 

day old larvae), 6.7 ppt (7-13 days), 

13.5 ppt (14-20 days), 20.2 ppt 

(21 -29 days), and 33.7 ppt (seawater, 

30-35 days). Juvenile striped bass 

tolerated salinities from 0-35 ppt, and 

optimum salinity for survival was 

between 10 and 20 ppt (Bogdanov et 

al. 1967). 

Significant interaction between 

salinity and temperature tolerance has 

been described. Otwell and Merriner 

(1975) reported that the highest mortality of test groups occurred for the 

highest salin ity-lowest temperature 

test combination. Fish younger than 

28 days had significantly lower mortalities than fish over 28 days old, for 

a given temperature-salinity combination. 

Table 8. Tolerance, optimal, and lethal values for selected environmental 

factors in relation to striped bass juvenile and adult stages. 

Envi ronmental Experimental 

factors condi ti ons Tolerance Optimum Lethal Source 

Temperature (OC) 

Salinity (ppt) 

50-100 rnm TL 

Acclirn. at 

15.6OC 

Acclirn. at 

11 .O0C 

20-50 rnrn TL 

50-100 mrn TL 

Dissolved O2 

(rn!3/d 

Current velocity 

(cm/s ) 

Temperature (OC) 

Sal ini ty (ppt) 

Dissolved 02 

(% saturation) 

Accl im. at 

32.8OC 

Adults 

Adults 

Adults - 

avoi dance 

Bogdanov et a1 . (1 967) 

Bogdanov et a1 . (1 967) 

Loeber (1951 ) 

Loeber (1951 ) 

Bogdanov ei a1 . (1967) 

Bogdanov et a1 . (1967) 

Bogdanov et a1 . (1967) 

Dorfrnan and 

Westrnan (1970) 

Bogdanov et a1 . (1 967) 

Tatum et al. 

(1 966) 

Bogdanov et a1 . (1967) 

Tagatz (1 961 1) 

Rogers and 

Westin (1 978) 

Meldrirn et al. 

(1 974) 

a 

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mortality rates when exposed to rapid 

changes in water temperature (such as 

that in a thermal discharge plume) 

(Schubel et al. 1976). Eggs were 

able to sustain 15" C (27 " F) temperature elevation for 4-60 min, but 

an elevation of 20 "C (36" F) above 

acclimation temperature killed all eggs 

in 2 min. Yolk sac larvae survival 

was significantly affected at a temperature elevation of 15 " C (27 " F) . Chadwick (1974) reported that slightly 

lower temperzture elevations, on the 

order of 10 C (18" F), significantly 

affected survival of 8-mm and 24-mm 

striped bass. However, mortality was 

not over 50% unless the absolute test 

temperature was 32.2 "C (90" F) or 

higher, regardless of the temperature 

elevation. Kelly and Chadwick (1971) 

gave 48- hr LC 50 values from 300 -33' C 

(86" -91 " F), for various acclimation 

temperatures. 

Larger striped bass, overwintering in thermal discharge areas along 

the Atlantic coast, given the freedom 

to avoid the thermal plume, may 

remain active and provide a winter 

sport fishery (Marcy and Galvin 

1973). - 

Environmental Contaminants 

Summaries of the effects and 

lethal concentrations of various pesticides, heavy metals, pharmaceutical 

drugs, and other commonly discharged 

chemical substances on striped bass 

eggs, larvae, and juveniles are presented in Bonn et al. (1976) and Westin and Rogers (1978). Three classes 

of substances have received much 

study: monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (e. g ., benzene), chlorinated 

hydrocarbons (including PCB's), and 

residual chlorines. 

Benville and Korn (1977) 

reported the following acute toxicities 

spills) to 69 juvenile striped bass: 

benzene-6.9 mg/l, toluene-7.3 mg/l, 

ethylbenzene-4.3 mg/l, metaxylene-9.2 

mg/l, orthoxylene-1 1 .0 mg/l, and 

paraxylene-2.0 mg/l. Korn et al. 

(1976) tested the chronic effects of 

exposure to sublethal benzene concentrations of 3.5 and 6.0 ug/l for 4 

weeks. The initial reaction was pronounced hyperactivity. Chronic reaction to b;&th levels included inability 

to locate and consume food properly, 

lower percent body fat, and lower dry 

and wet weight at the end of the test 

period. 

Mehrle et al. (1982) examined the 

relationship between bone strength, 

bone health and development, and 

levels of organic and inorganic contaminants in young-of-the-year striped 

bass from the Nanticoke, Potomac, and 

Hudson Rivers, and from a North 

Carolina hatchery. Polychlorinated 

biphenyls (PCB's) were the most 

prevelant organic contaminants found. 

Hudson River fish had the highest 

PCB levels, and both Potomac and 

Hudson River bass had significantly 

higher levels of total organic contaminant residues than the Nanticoke and 

hatchery groups. Arsenic, lead, selenium, and cadmium were the most 

prevelant inorganic contaminants 

found. Levels of organochlorine residues and heavy metals were highly 

correlated with bone strength, stiffness, toughness, and stress tolerance. Hudson River fish had the 

highest residue levels and the poorest 

bone quality and bone health of the 

four groups examined. 

The effect of total residual chlorine levels (TRC) on early striped 

bass life stages have been examined 

by Morgan and Prince (1977) and Middaugh et al. (1977), and their results 

are summarized in Table 9. 
Table 9. Effects of total residual chlorine levels on various life stages of 

striped bass. 

Total residual 

Li fe stage chlorine (mg/a) Effect Source 

Egg 

Egg 

Egg 

Egg 

<13 hr old eggs 

24-40 hr 01 d eggs 

<I3 hr old eggs 

24-40 hr old eggs 

Yo1 k-sac 1 arvae 

Yo1 k-sac 1 arvae 

Juveni le 

100% mortal i ty 

3.5% hatch, scoliosis 

23% hatch, difficult 

chorion detachment 

No significant effects 

100% mortal i ty 

100% mortality 

CC50 

LC50 

LC50 

Incipient lethal a 

Incipient lethal a 

Mi ddaugh et a1 . (1 977) 

Mi ddaugh et a1 . (1 977) 

Mi ddaugh et a1 . (1977) 

Middaugh et al. 

(1 977) 

Morgan and 

Prince (1977) 

Morgan and 

Prince (1977) 

Morgan and 

Prince (1 977) 

Morclan and ~ri nce (1 977) 

Morgan and 

Prince (1977) 

Mi ddaugh et a1 . (1 977) 

Middaugh et al. 

(1977) 

a The incipient lethal level is that level at which mortality is first observed. 
Albrecht, A. B. 1964. Some observations on factors associated with 

survival of striped bass eggs 

and larvae. Calif. Fish Game 50: 

100-1 13. 

Auld, A. H., and J. R. Schubel. 

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PRFP 75-1 
t r4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date 

~cies Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements October 1953 

ioastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Mid-Atlantic) -- Striped la---- 

W. Fay, Richard J. Neves, - Garland - B. Pardue --- 

9. Performing Organization Name and Address 1 10. Project/Task/Work Unit No. I I I De~artment of Fisheries and Wild1 ife Scienc 

virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 

Blacksburg, VA 24061 

-- 

12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address 13. Type of Report & Period Covered 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team U.S. Army Corps of Enginee -1-

s 

Fish and Wildlife Service Waterways Experiment Statign 

".s. Department of the Interior P.O. Box 631 

, Washington, - DC 20240 Vicksburg, MS 39180 1 I IS. Supplementary Notes 

*U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report No. TR EL-82-4 

16. Abstract (Llrnlt: 200 words) 

Species profiles are 1 iterature summaries on the taxonomy, morphology, range, 1 ife history, 

and environmental requirements of coastal aquatic species. They are designed to assist in 

environmental impact assessment. The striped bass (Morone saxat il is) is a highly valued 

recreational and commercial fish species and is surpassed in total recreational catch 

(weight) only by bluefish and Atlantic mackerel on the Atlantic coast. Males mature at age 

B 3, and females at age 4 or 5. Striped bass are anadromous, spawning in fresh or nearly 

water, from April through June in the mid-Atlantic region. Upper Chesapeake Bay, its 

m~,,r tributaries, and the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal are the most important spawning grounds 

on the Atlantic coast. Eggs are semibuoyant, and require a minimum current velocity of 

30.5 cm/s during development to keep them from settling and smothering on the bottom. Environmental conditions during the larval stage are considered most crucial in terms of future 

year class strength. Juveniles remain in or near areas of origin for 2 or 3 years, at which 

time a portion of the juveniles may join coastal migratory stocks, moving north in spring 

and summer and south i n f a l l and winter. Temperature, salinity, current velocity, and turbidity are important environmental factors for striped bass. Eggs require water temperature 

between 14°C and 23"C, salinities between 0 and 10 ppt, water currents of at least 30.5 cm/s 

and turbidi ties less than 1000 mg/l for successful development and hatching. Larvae require 

temperatures between 10°C and 25"C, salinities between 0 and 15 ppt, and turbidities less 

than 500 mg/l for survival . Juvenile and adul t tolerances -- are generally wider. 

17. Document Analys~s a. Descr~ptors 

Estuaries 

Fishes 

Growth 

Feed i ng 

/striped bass Nursery areas 

Morone saxa t i 1 i s Spawning requirements 

Salinity requirements 

Temperature requirements 

c COSkTl F~eld/Group -- -- 

i 22. Pr~ce 

-. 

I-e ANSI-239 19) OPTIONAL FORM 272 (4-7 

(Formerly NTIS-35) 

Department of Commerce 

i b. Ldentif~erslOpen-Ended Terms i I 
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