Age, growth, and life history characteristics of striped bass, Morone saxatilis, from the Shubenacadie-Stewiacke River, Nova Scotia / by Lee M. Paramore.
| Author/creator | Paramore, Lee author. |
| Other author | Rulifson, Roger A. (Roger Allen), 1951- degree supervisor. |
| Other author | East Carolina University. Department of Biology. |
| Format | Theses and dissertations |
| Production | 1998. |
| Description | viii, 91 pages : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Access via ScholarShip |
| Subjects |
| Scope and content | The striped bass, Morone saxatilis, recently has experienced dramatic decreases in population size in the upper Bay of Fundy and throughout the Canadian Maritime provinces. To date, little work has been done to understand the age composition, growth rates, and life history patterns of striped bass at this northern end of the species range. This study characterizes the age, growth, and life history patterns of the population of striped bass utilizing the Shubenacadie-Stewiacke River, Nova Scotia. A total of 195 striped bass was sampled as bycatch from a commercial Alosa drift net fishery. Agreement of ages derived by otoliths and scales was 90%. Ages ranged from 4 (441 mm mean FL) to 16 (1,020 mm mean FL). Of the 10 age classes present in the catches, ages 4 and 5 comprised more than 80% of the fish landed. Measurements of growth rates, including length at age, weight-length relationships, and von Bertalanffy growth parameters, were similar to those reported for other studies on striped bass in the region. Fecundity estimates ranged from 58,295 eggs at age 4 to 1.3 million eggs at age 11. These values are much lower than those reported for striped bass in lower latitudes. Due to morphological differences in dorsal coloration, the possibility of two populations coexisting on the spawning grounds was investigated. Growth rates, feeding habits, fatty acid composition, and otolith microchemistry were used to compare between striped bass having black (blackbacks) and green (greenbacks) dorsal coloration. No significant difference in growth between groups was detected. Feeding habits did differ between colormorphs, with three prey species being exclusive to blackbacks and two species exclusive to greenbacks. Fatty acid analysis showed significant differences in the fatty acid content of eggs and livers between dorsal color types. The otoliths of blackback fish had Sr/Ca ratios indicative of fresh water, while greenback fish had Sr/Ca ratios associated with more saline environments. Some management recommendations include Monitoring of adult population to assess effects of recent fishing regulations and monitoring spawning success and year class variability in the population through annual surveys. In addition, careful consideration should be given to the environmental, behavioral, and genetic characteristics associated with this population before using as source of brood stock for other Canadian river systems. |
| General note | Submitted to the faculty of the Department of Biology. |
| General note | Advisor: Roger A. Rulifson |
| Dissertation note | M.S. East Carolina University 1998 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-91). |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
Availability
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| Joyner | University Archives | ASK AT SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DESK | ✔ Available | Request Material |
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