Food Habits of Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in Coastal Waters of Massachusetts

Abstract

Stomach contents of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) collected from three coastal regions of Massachusetts during JuneSeptember in 19972000 were examined for patterns in prey composition and body size related to coastal region, time period of capture, foraging habitat, and length of striped bass. Together fish (mostly Clupeidae, Menidia sp., and Ammodytes sp.) and crustaceans (mostly Crangon septemspinosa, Cancer irroratus, and Homarus americanus) dominated the diet of striped bass by both weight (9195%) and number (8797%), and had a high frequency of occurrence (4266%) in the stomachs. Similarity in prey taxa among coastal regions was moderate to high (5874%). Cluster analysis and ordination techniques grouped the stomach contents from each region by capture period, habitat, and 50 mm striped bass length interval. The stomach contents of bass <675 mm total length (TL) collected during August September from estuaries and rocky shoreline habitats in the North Shore and Cape Cod Bay regions had a higher average percentage of menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) by weight than found in similar-sized bass collected during JuneJuly from the same habitats. Also, in the North Shore area, striped bass <675 mm TL sampled in rocky shorelines contained a higher average percentage of Cancer irroratus by weight than similar-sized bass taken in estuaries. Bass >675 mm TL in rocky habitats consumed more Homarus americanus than smaller bass residing in this same habitat. The size distribution of the dominant fishes and crabs (Ammodytes sp., B. tyrannus, Cancer irroratus, and Carcinus maenus) consumed by striped bass was related to bass body size. Benthic prey were found to be a major component of the diet of striped bass in Massachusetts coastal waters.

Quantifying Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) Dependence on Saltmarsh-Derived Productivity Using Stable Isotope Analysis

“…Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) was an important component of the diet for striped bass only in northern Massachusetts and only during summer and fall (Ferry and Mather 2012). These results are largely consistent with diets of large fish in northern Massachusetts, which have been shown to consume equal portions of fish and crustaceans during the summer (Nelson et al 2003). These studies indicate that striped bass in Massachusetts rely on invertebrates for a higher proportion of their diets compared to striped bass in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA, which eat mostly fish (Overton et al 2008(Overton et al , 2009.…”

Habitat and diet overlap of 4 piscivorous fishes: variation on the inner continental shelf off New Jersey

“…Another prey species, Atlantic Menhaden, has received increased attention because of its historical importance as the main prey of Striped Bass at other locations during other times (Nelson et al, 2003;Walter et al, 2003;Overton et al, 2008). Uphoff (2003) suggested that a shortage of Atlantic Menhaden as prey for Striped Bass in the Chesapeake Bay may have reduced the nutritional condition of those Striped Bass in the 1990s, making them susceptible to disease.…”

Modeling Predator–Prey Linkages of Diadromous Fishes in an Estuarine Food Web

“…These results suggest the potential occurrence of competition for prey resources, as the two groups occupy the same trophic position. Sturgeon and Striped Bass traditionally rely on benthic trophic pathways in coastal New England (Nelson et al 2003;Ferry and Mather 2012). Additionally, both groups display high spatial and temporal overlap in their use of estuarine systems along the East Coast.…”