Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis
A moratorium on striped bass harvesting from 1985 to 1989 helped reverse population declines caused by overfishing, which may have made striped bass more susceptible to other stresses like poor water quality. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Captain Pete Ide throws a freshly caught striped bass onto the dock at Fishing Creek in Chesapeake Beach, Md., after a charter fishing excursion on the Chesapeake Bay on Nov. 11, 2016. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Charter fishing boat captain Pete Ide holds a freshly caught striped bass on the Chesapeake Bay. Striped bass lives in various habitats throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries during different times of the year. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) swim at the National Aquarium in Baltimore on Dec. 11, 2015. Striped bass have a deep notch in the dorsal fin. The first part of the dorsal fin has several spines. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Also known as the rockfish or striper, the striped bass is a large predatory fish with dark stripes running across its metallic sides. It lives throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries year-round.
Appearance
On average, adult striped bass grow 2 to 3 feet in length and weigh between 10 to 30 pounds, although they can reach a length of six feet and weigh as much as 125 pounds. Their elongated body varies in color from light or olive green to blue, brown or black , and their metallic sides are striped with seven or eight dark, continuous lines. Their belly is white. They have a dark, forked tail fin and three spines on their anal fin. A deep notch appears on their dorsal fin, and the first part of the dorsal fin has several spines.
Feeding
Stripted bass feed on a variety of small fish and invertebrates, including worms, squid, menhaden, anchovies and crustaceans.
Predators
Predators include sharks, larger fish and fish-eating birds like ospreys.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The striped bass is considered to be semi-anadromous fish; most do not travel all the way from the ocean to their spawning grounds in freshwater rivers. Spawning occurs from April to early June in the Chesapeake Bay's tidal tributaries. During spawning season, several males court a single female, who lays her eggs in fresh or brackish water near the shore. After spawning, adults swim downstream to the Bay, and some continue on to the ocean. Eggs hatch in two to three days, after which larvae move slowly downstream. Juveniles live in the shallows of tidal rivers throughout the summer. Most spend their first two years of life in the river in which they were born. Striped bass live 10 to 30 years.
Did You Know?
- The striped bass is Maryland's state fish, and one of the most popular commercial and recreational catches in the Chesapeake Bay.
- The Bay is the largest striped bass nursery area on the Atlantic coast. Seventy to 90 percent of the Atlantic striped bass population uses the Bay to spawn.
- The oldest recorded striped bass was 31 years old. The largest recorded striped bass was 125 pounds, caught on the North Carolina coast in 1891.
- The Bay's record striped bass was caught in 1995 off Bloody Point, just south of Kent Island, Maryland. It weighed 67.5 pounds.
Sources and Additional Information
- Learn the Issues: Striped Bass by Chesapeake Bay Program
- Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
- Fishes of Chesapeake Bay by Edward O. Murdy, Ray S. Birdsong and John A. Musick
- Maryland Fish Facts: Striped Bass – Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Striped Bass – Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Quick Facts
Species
Native
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Size
Average 2 to 3 feet in length and between 10 to 30 pounds; have been known to reach 6 feet in length and weigh 125 pounds -
Habitat
Live in various habitats throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, moving upstream in spring to spawn in fresh water. Spend summer and winter in deep channels.
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Range
Found throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries year-round. After spawning in the spring, the Bay striped bass stock moves to coastal waters. Most spend the summer along the New England coast, and the fall and winter off of North Carolina. On the Atlantic coast, striped bass range from Canada to Florida, but are most prevalent from Maine to North Carolina.
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Diet
Feed on a variety of small fish and invertebrates -
Lifespan
10 to 30 years -
Status
Stable