STUDIES ON THE STRIPED BASS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST 3 



1928; Bigelow and Welsh, 1925; and Walford, 1937), and the following account is 

 based on these works and on the material afforded by fin-ray, scale, and vertebral 

 counts, and measurements on over 350 individuals 15 cm. in length or greater studied 

 during the investigation. The majority of these fish were taken in Connecticut waters. 

 The numbers indicate the extremes of variation, while those in parentheses are the 

 approximate averages. 



Morphometric description. — Body elongate, moderately compressed; back little 

 arched; greatest depth (at or slightly posterior to origin of spinous dorsal fin) 3.45 to 

 4.2 (3.7) (young individuals tend to be more slender than old ones), average least 

 depth (at caudal peduncle) 9.6, average depth at anus 3.9— in standard length. Head 

 long and pointed, 2.9 to 3.25 (3.1) in standard length. Dorsal fin rays: IX (VIII in 

 one individual) — I, 10 to 13 (12); fourth and longest dorsal spine 2.2, first and longest 

 dorsal soft ray 2.0 in head. Anal fin rays III, 10 to 12 (11); first and longest soft ray 

 2.0 in head. Ventral (pelvic) fin rays: I, 5; length of ventrals 1.9 in head. Pectoral 

 fin rays: 15 to 17; length of pectorals 2.0 in head. The two dorsal fins approximately 

 equal in basal length, the first (spinous) being roughly triangular in outline and origi- 

 nating over the posterior half of the pectoral, the second (soft) usually distinctly sep- 

 arate from the first, its soft rays becoming regularly shorter posteriorly. Anal fin of 

 essentially the same shape as second dorsal and slightly smaller; situated below pos- 

 terior two-thirds of second dorsal. Pectorals and ventrals of moderate size; insertion 

 of ventrals slightly behind that of pectorals. Caudal somewhat forked. Scales: 



7 to 9 — 57 to 67 — 11 to 15; typically ctenoid (the character "scales on head cycloid" 

 as given by Jordan, 1884, for the genus Roccus, does not hold true in the striped bass) ; 

 extending onto the bases of all the fins except the spinous dorsal. Vertebrae (includ- 

 ing hypural): 24 or 25 (almost invariably 12 + 13 = 25). Gill-rakers on first arch: 



8 to 11 + 1 + 12 to 15 (10 + 1 + 14). Eye 3 to 4.9 in head (less in smaller individuals). 

 Mouth large, oblique, maxillary extending nearly to middle of eye (except in smaU 

 individuals) and broad posteriorly (width at tip nearly two-thirds diameter of eye); 

 lower jaw projecting. Teeth small, two parallel patches on base of tongue; also present 

 on jaws, vomer, and palatines. Preopercle margin clearly serrate. 



Color in lije. — Dark ohve-green to steel-blue or almost black above as a rule, but 

 occasionally light green. Paling on the sides to silver, and white on the belly. Some- 

 times with a bronze luster on the sides. Sides with seven or eight prominent dark 

 stripes, much the same color as the back. Usually the stripes follow scale rows, three 

 or four above the lateral line, one invariably on the lateral line, and three below it. 

 Normally the two above the lateral line, that on the lateral lino, and sometimesthe 

 first below it, are the longest, reaching or coming close to the base of the caudal. None 

 extend onto the head. All except the lowest are above the level of the pectoral fins. 

 The highest stripes and those below the lateral line tend to decrease in length. The 

 stripes are often variously interrupted and broken. Young of less than 6-7 cm. usually 

 without dark longitudinal stripes, and those of 5-S cm. often with dusky vertical cross- 

 bars ranging from 6-10 in number. Vertical fins dusky green to black, ventrals white 

 or dusky, pectorals greenish. 



Distinguishing characters. — There is little danger of confusing striped bnss above 

 10 cm. with any other species either on the Atlantic or Pacific coast. Its prominent 

 dark longitudinal stripes, general outline, and fin structure are sufficient to separate 

 it at a glance from other species. The dorsal fins arc usually clearly separate, but 

 sometimes touch. In specimens less than 7 cm. it is often difficult to distinguish 

 striped bass from the white perch (Morone americana), whose dorsal fins are contin- 

 uous — not contiguous, as in the striped bass. The normally separate dorsals of the 

 larger striped bass become an almost useless character here, and the stripes frequently 

 are not present. The general body outlines of the young of these two species are 

 much alike, although the back tends to be somewhat more arched in the white perch. 

 The most valuable differentiating characters are: (1) The second spine of the anal fin, 

 which is almost equal in length to the third spine and more robust in the white perch, 

 and intermediate in length between the first and the third spines and less robust in 

 the striped bass; (2) the relatively thicker and heavier spines in the fins of the white 

 perch; (3) the sharp spines on the margin of the opercle, of which the striped bass 

 has two and the white perch but one; and (4) the soft rays of the anal fin, usually 9 

 in the white perch and 10-12, normally 11, in the striped bass. 



