STUDIES ON THE STRIPED BASS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST 55 



It is apparent from a glance at this list that bass feed on a wide variety of animals, 

 and it is likely that a study of stomach contents in other localities would yield as 

 many more species as are common in the coastal waters inhabited by striped bass. 

 In this connection, the examination of the stomach contents of 101 striped bass 

 (yearling to 3-year-olds from the Albemarle Sound region and Manteo, N. C, in 

 April 1938 yielded the following definitely identified forms, to say nothing of those 

 that were too well digested to be identified: Teleosts. — Striped killifish (Fundulus 

 majalis); sea trout, or spotted squeteague (Cynoscion nebvlosus); silver perch (Bair- 

 diella chrysura) ; croaker (Micropogon undulatus) ; gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) ; 

 spotted ling, or hake, or codling (Phycis regius); anchovy (Anchoviella mitchilli); 

 eel (Anguilla rostrata) ; white perch (Morone americana) ; glut herring {Pomolobus 

 aestivalis); and minnow, or shiner (Notropis, sp.?). Crustacea 16 . — Three species of 

 shrimp (Peneus brasiliensis, Palaemonetes carolinus, Crago septemspinosus) ; young 

 blue crab (Callinectes sapidus); and isopod (Aegathoa oculata). 17 



is 



PARASITES AND ABNORMALITIES OF THE STRIPED BASS 



Parasites of the striped bass have been collected whenever they were observed 

 from 1936 to 1938. 



Two species of nematodes have been found that are endoparasitic on the striped 

 bass. The first, Goezia annulata (syn.: Lecanocephalus annulatus Molin), was found 

 in a single specimen in the stomach mucosa, and has been reported and described by 

 Linton (1901) and MacCallum (1921). The second, Dicheilonema rubrum (syn.: 

 Filaria rubra Linton), has been observed in innumerable striped bass. It was found 

 in the peritoneal cavity, usually in the posterior end in close association with the 

 gonads, but it never appeared to do any serious harm to its host. This species has 

 been reported for the striped bass by Railliet (1918), and is described by Linton (1901). 



Among the forms that are ectoparasitic on the striped bass are two species of 

 copepods which have been found on various occasions. Caligus rapax, which occurs 

 on many species of marine fish, and described by Wilson (1905 and 1932), is not un- 

 common. Argulus alosae Gould was taken on three striped bass in the Niantic 

 River, Conn., in August and September, 1936, thus constituting a new host record for 

 this species; it was described by Wilson (1903). It is also of interest that in the 

 collection of juvenile bass taken from the western end of Albemarle Sound on May 11, 

 1938, a high percentage of the fish were parasitized by glochidia. It is supposed that 

 these glochidia attached themselves to the fish in the fresh water at or near the mouth 

 of the Roanoke River, and it is not known whether or not they can complete their 

 normal encystment and development after being carried into the brackish waters of 

 Albemarle Sound. 



A review of the literature indicates that many other parasites have been reported 

 for the striped bass. The monogenetic trematodes include Lepidotes collinsi (Mueller, 

 1936), Aristocleidus hastatus (Mueller, loc. cit.), Epibdella melleni (Nigrelli and 

 Breder, 1934), Microcotyle acanthophallus, M. cueides, and M. macroura. _ Digenetic 

 trematodes that have been reported on striped bass are Distoma rufoviride (syn.: 



D. tenue) (Linton, 1898), D. tornatvm, (Linton, 1901), and D. galactosomum. Two 

 cestodes, Ehynchobothrivm bulbifer and R. speciosum, have been reported by Linton 

 (1901 and 1924), the former as plerocercoids in the intestine (adults in Selachians), 

 the latter in cysts in the viscera. Besides the nematodes already mentioned, an 

 Ascaris sp. has also been reported by Linton (1901). Two acanthocephalans, 

 Echinorhynchus gadi (syn.: E. acus) (Linton, 1901) and Pomphorhynchus laevis (syn.: 



E. proteus), have been taken from striped bass. Two other copepods besides those 

 found by the author are the Lernaeopodid, Achtheres lacae (Wilson, 1915), and the 

 Ergasilid, Ergasilus labracis (Wilson, 1911 and 1932). 



In regnrd to the general well-being of the striped bass, there is no evidence that 

 any of the parasites that are associated with it are of any great importance. Dichei- 

 lonema rubrum, which is so commonly found in the peritoneal cavity, shows a tendency 



>• Identified by Dr. Charles J. Fish, Direr-tor of the Marine Laboratory at Narragansett, Rhode Island State College, Kingston, 

 R I 



ii The Isopod, A. oailata. is normally found parasitic on squid (Loligo pealei) and young mullet (Mvgil sp.), but since neither of 

 these forms was seen in the stomachs of these bass, it is probable that A. oculata was taken by the bass while it was free-swiming 

 during the breeding season. , , , . _ _ , .. 



'« The author wishes to express his gratitude to Dr. John S. Rankin, of the Department of Biology at Amherst College, for his 

 assistance in the preparation of the material on the parasites of the striped bass, and for his identifications of the nematodes and 

 copepods. 



