178 
Fishery Bulletin 106(2) 
Table 2 (continued) 
Fish 
Scientific name 
2003 
2005 
Year 
2006 
2007 
Overall 
Mean TL mm 
(±SD) 
%B 
%N 
%B 
%N 
%B 
%N 
%B 
%N 
%B 
%N 
American eel 
Anguilla rostrata 
0.3 
0.7 
0.8 
0.1 
1.4 
<0.1 
334(62) 
American shad 
Alosa sapidissima 
0.4 
0.5 
154(42) 
Atlantic croaker 
Micropogonias undulatus 
14.7 
1.5 
0.8 
1.4 
5 
1.3 
1.7 
0.6 
3.4 
0.4 
126 (51) 
Atlantic herring 
Clupea harengus 
7.3 
10.4 
1.4 
0.2 
217 (24) 
Atlantic menhaden 
Brevoortia tyrannus 
72.4 
17.8 
82.8 
60.4 
71.1 
4.9 
94.5 
81.8 
67.9 
17.3 
183(73) 
Bay anchovy 
Anchoa mitchilli 
6.7 
63.4 
0.9 
11.8 
11.9 
92.1 
0.2 
12.6 
16.5 
68.6 
55.9(13) 
Blueback herring 
Alosa aestivalis 
1.1 
1.7 
99.1(67) 
Butterfish 
Peprilus triacanthus 
3.1 
2.8 
0.5 
3.41 
0.3 
0.4 
179(35) 
Hickory shad 
Alosa mediocris 
5.4 
0.1 
0.3 
<0.1 
442* 
Round herring 
Etrumeus teres 
3.5 
0.5 
0.5 
0.5 
135(9) 
Sciaenid sp. 
1.9 
3.7 
85.9 (28) 
Silver perch 
Bairdiella chrysoura 
0.6 
2.1 
0 
0 
0.1 
0.1 
112* 
Spot 
Leiostomus xanthurus 
0.5 
0.7 
2 
0.6 
<0.1 
0.1 
0.1 
0.3 
122(14) 
Tonguefishes 
Symphurus sp. 
5.9 
14.9 
0.5 
0.4 
Unknown clupeid 
1.1 
0.9 
391(1.4) 
Fish remains 
0.4 
2.5 
0.1 
2.1 
0.2 
0.9 
1 
0.9 
1.5 
1.2 
Weakfish 
Cynoscion regalis 
3.6 
6.3 
0.4 
0 
1.1 
0.3 
0.7 
0.2 
159(15) 
Menticirrhus spp 
0.4 
0.1 
0.3 
0.1 
0.2 
0.1 
137 (8.3) 
Invertebrates 
Gastropod shell 
Gastropod 
0.2 
0.7 
Decapods 
Decapoda 
0.3 
0.6 
Sand shrimp 
Crangon septimspinosa 
0.4 
1.3 
Mud crab 
Panopeus herbstii 
<0.1 
0.7 
0.1 
0.1 
<0.1 
<0.1 
Longfin squid 
Loligo pealeii 
<0.1 
<0.1 
<0.1 
<0.1 
(>70%) from 2005 through 2007 and was highest in 
2007 (94.5%). Contribution of Atlantic menhaden by 
number, however, was quite variable: in 2005 they 
contributed 60.4%, declining to <5.0% in 2006, and 
increasing to 81.1% in 2007. Percent by number of 
bay anchovy was variable during 2005-07. In 2005 
and 2007 their contribution by number was <15%. 
However, in 2006 they contributed >90% to the diet 
numerically. 
Weakfish and Atlantic croaker were present in stom- 
achs of recreationally caught striped bass for all years 
(Table 2). There were no clear patterns to their contri- 
butions, and collectively represented a small portion 
<5.0% (biomass) of the diet. Only one alosine, a hickory 
shad (2006), was found in the samples (2.7% biomass, 
0.1% number). Other clupeoids, including Atlantic her- 
ring (7.3% of the biomass in 2005) and round herring 
( Etrumeus teres) (3.5% of the biomass in 2006), were 
found sporadically in the diet. Invertebrates were un- 
important to the diet of large striped bass, generally 
representing <1.0% by weight and by number in the 
diet (Table 2). 
Predator-prey size relationships 
Prey consumed by striped bass ranged from 35 to 423 
mm TL (mean=102.5 mm ±79.3 SD), although most 
prey items (86.7%) were less than 125.0 mm long. Mean 
length of Atlantic menhaden consumed was 204.2 TL 
mm (±76.2 mm SD). Prey length showed a significantly 
positive relationship with striped bass total length 
(P<0.001, r 2 =0.31) (Fig. 4). The distribution of prey-to- 
predator ratios (PPR) ranged from 0.02 to 0.43 but had 
a skewed distribution toward the lower end of the range 
(75% of PPRs <0.15) (Fig. 5). This PPR distribution had 
a bimodal pattern with peaks at 0.07 and 0.14. Mean 
PPR for all prey was 0.12 (±0.07 SD) but the mean PPR 
for Atlantic menhaden was 0.19 and for bay anchovy, 
0.06. 
Discussion 
This study concentrated on migratory adult striped bass 
that reside in nearshore waters of the Atlantic Ocean 
