Fishery bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Service - NOAA

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 originating
over the posterior half of the pectoral, the second (soft) usually distinctly separate
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 posterior
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 Boccus, does not hold true in the striped bass) ;
extending onto the bases of all the fins except the spinous dorsal. Vertebrae (including
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 small
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 life.—Dark olive-green to steel-blue or almost black above as a rule, but
occasionally light green. Paling on the sides to suVer, and white on the belly. Sometunes
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 Une, and sometimes the
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 5-8 cm. often with dusky vertical crossbars
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 bass 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 are 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 continuous—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 La
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.