Atlantic Striped Bass

Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) are anadromous predatory fish native to the Atlantic coast of North America, known for their sleek silver bodies marked by a series of horizontal stripes. They spend most of their adult lives in coastal and estuarine waters but migrate into freshwater rivers to spawn. Highly adaptable, striped bass feed on a wide range of prey — including menhaden, sand eels, and juvenile fish — and their movements often track the availability of these forage species throughout the year.

Ecologically, striped bass are one of the most influential coastal predators in the Northeast, shaping the behavior and distribution of many smaller fish species. Their abundance is closely tied to the health of key forage populations, especially Atlantic menhaden, making them an important indicator of broader ecosystem stability. Striped bass have experienced significant fluctuations due to fishing pressure, habitat changes, and shifts in prey availability, but strong management efforts have helped maintain the population in many regions. Today, they remain a defining species of the Atlantic seaboard — central to both coastal ecology and recreational fishing culture.

NYDEC - Management

NOAA - Biology

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission - Management and Conservation

School of fish swimming in clear green water.
A school of fish swimming in clear, greenish water.
Birds flying over the shoreline with green water, sand, and waves
An underwater scene with hundreds of fish forming a spiral shape around a single fish in the center.
A school of small fish swimming in the ocean with a larger, solitary fish in the center.
A small fish swimming in a green ocean with many other fish in the background.
A detailed painting or illustration of numerous small fish swimming in a school against a green background.
School of fish swimming in clear green water.