Abstract:
For most migratory fish,
little is known about the location
and size of foraging areas or how
long individuals remain in foraging
areas, even though these attributes
may affect their growth, survival,
and impact on local prey. We tested
whether striped bass (Morone saxatilis
Walbaum), found in Massachusetts in
summer, were migratory, how long
they stayed in non-natal estuaries,
whether observed spatial patterns
differed from random model predictions,
whether fish returned to the
same area across multiple years, and
whether fishing effort could explain
recapture patterns. Anchor tags were
attached to striped bass that were
caught and released in Massachusetts
in 1999 and 2000, and recaptured
between 1999 and 2007. In
fall, tagged striped bass were caught
south of where they were released in
summer, confirming that fish were
coastal migrants. In the first summer,
77% and 100% of the recaptured fish
in the Great Marsh and along the
Massachusetts coast, respectively,
were caught in the same place where
they were released. About two thirds
of all fish recaptured near where they
were released were caught 2–7 years
after tagging. Our study shows that
smaller (400–500 mm total length)
striped bass migrate hundreds of
kilometers along the Atlantic Ocean
coast, cease their mobile lifestyle in
summer when they use a relatively
localized area for foraging (<20 km2),
and return to these same foraging
areas in subsequent years.
