The Stripes on our Bass

[gilly09]

Does anyone know the how and why of how the beautiful stripes on the bass can appear broken at some point on the fish?

Some fish have almost perfect stripes, others appear to have that broken look to a stripe or two.

genetics??????? (#$119) (#$119)

[averagejoe]

Printer heads need to be realigned.

[Nelly]

I believe that some of the broken stripes are how you tell a Hudson river fish vs. a Chesapeake Bay fish. Not sure about that though.

[gilly09]

i think i'll just accept it like that's why some of us have blonde hair and others have black.

[Joey Langan]

I think it may be because a fish lost some scales in that area.
tight lines Joey Langan

[Finattck]

there are certainly some hybrids in the east coast migratory stock...

http://www7.taosnet.com/platinum/data/light/species/basshybridstriped.html

[boba]

Nelly is right. Read Alex Karas' book, "The Complete Book of Striped Bass," to see how to tell Chesapeake cf. Hudson stripers (most, but not all of Mass. stripers are from the Cheasapeake). It's an excellent book if you are really into stripers. If you fish the Canal, you will recognize the places in the short story he uses at the start of the book.

[Finattck]

I've heard from several good sources that they are a cross between chrysops & saxatilis and that we will likely see many more of these as they two continue to breed.

[notime]

So are the broken ones from the Chesapeake? Why are most of the ones in Mass from the Chesapeake? I would have thought the Hudson since it is closer.

[notime]

Just happend to come across this. According to an article in the most recent "Underwater Naturalist", the magazine from the American Littoral Society (the NJ conservationalist organization with the tagging program) states:

"Contrary to angler opinion, the origin of a fish cannot be recognized by a visibly pronounced broken stripe pattern called "brokenstripedness". Although this morpholocical aberration occurs in both wild and hatchery reared fish, the brokenstripedness is significantly more pronounced in hatchery reared fish. Millions of hatchery reared fish released into both the Hudson and Chesapeake tributaries demonstrate a high percentage of this morpholocigical deformitty. Studies suggest it is not genetically based, but relates to a hatchery envoronment."

[Finattck]

Interesting. Not sure why the hatchery "environment" would cause it. I had read that it certainly was genetic, and related to the Hybrid genes being introduced into the hatcheries. ...I'll reply if I find definitive info :cool:

[Jonny Bolt]

I have been told over the years this is a genetic strain for the most part. The Striped Bass over on the West Coast seem to exibit this "checkered" or broken line look more often than not. The hybrids dont reproduce so they must be stocked but some natural hybridization may be taking place as well. The hybrid is differentiated by the broken stripes (and football like shape) but mitocondrial studies may be needed at times to tell for sure. The strains in the Hudson and Chesapeake are very similar and are referred to as the atlantic strain. Now many of the landlocked stripers stocked in many southern U.S. impoundments are the southern or gulf strain. These apparently have been found to be less migratory and natural reproduction is being observed with this stock, hence the increased stocking of this strain in the southern U.S.

[breezyloon]

Boba and all the rest of youse guys, Alex Karas was as I recall a professional football player of some note, Hall of Fame if memory serves, Chicago Bears I think. Nick Karas is the auther of the book on Striped Bass , a longtime newspaper journalist, and fine fellow who now guides out of the North Fork, Orient Point, of Long Island. Saxatilis Charters. My apologies for being a nitpicker,but credit where credit is due. Nick did a very good book on Brook Trout as well, his other favorite fish.