Striped Bass (Rockfish)

(Morone saxatilis)

If any fish is associated with the Chesapeake Bay it would have to be the Striped Bass, more commonly known as the rockfish.  This fish is of great economic importance to Maryland in terms of its value as a commercial species and its importance to sport fishermen.  The striped bass is an andadromous species, a fish that lives in the saltier water of the Bay and the ocean for most of its life, but spawn in the fresher tributaries of these larger bodies of water.  The name “rockfish” is derived from the oyster rock or reef where these fish will be found as they search for the abundant prey that occur there such as smller fish and crabs.

The rockfish caught at King’s Landing are typically very small, less than 10 cm in length.  These are usually the young of that year or the previous year.  Rockfish are fast swimmers and can be identified from their relative, the White Perch, by their more streamlined body and by the distinct, horizontal striping that runs along the body.