Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis

Also known as the rockfish or striper, the striped bass is a large predatory fish with dark stripes running along its metallic sides. Part of the Atlantic Coast population lives in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries year round.

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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) USAGE REQUEST INFORMATION The Chesapeake Bay Program's photographic archive is available for media and non-commercial use at no charge. To request permission, send an email briefly describing the proposed use to requests@chesapeakebay.net. Please do not attach jpegs. Instead, reference the corresponding Flickr URL of the image. A photo credit mentioning the Chesapeake Bay Program is mandatory. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way or used in any way that suggests approval or endorsement of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Requestors should also respect the publicity rights of individuals photographed, and seek their consent if necessary.

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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

Striped bass are one of the top predators in the Chesapeake Bay food web, feeding on a variety of small fish and benthic 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 a 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?

  • Overfishing, habitat loss, pollution, hypoxia (low oxygen), changes in prey abundance and disease threaten the striped bass population in the Chesapeake Bay. Climate-driven changes in temperature and precipitation patterns may further impact striped bass’ ability to bounce back from declines.
  • 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.
  • Striped bass have been one of the most popular commercial and recreational fish species in the Chesapeake Bay for centuries. Striped bass are so acclaimed in the region that the Maryland General Assembly designated it the Maryland state fish in 1965.
  • Striped bass are managed at the coast-wide level by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), a multi-state body that coordinates the conservation and management of 27 nearshore fish species.

Sources and additional information

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