Comparative Swimming Stamina, Biochemical Composition, Backbone Mechanical Properties, and Histopathology of Juvenile Striped Bass from Rivers and Hatcheries of the Eastern United States

Abstract

Swimming stamina and indices of bodily condition were compared among young-of-the-year striped bass Morone saxatilis from the Hudson River, the Potomac and Nanticoke rivers (tributaries of Chesapeake Bay), and three hatchery stocks. Hudson River fish showed one of the poorest swimming performances, Potomac River fish the best. Wild fish as a group differed from hatchery fish as a group in the biochemical compositions of their livers and muscles, but this probably was related to their respective diets. The bones of wild fish generally had lower density, strength, and structural integrity than those of hatchery fish. Among wild fish, those from the Hudson River were exceptional for their high liver-weight: Body-weight ratio, low liver DNA and muscle protein concentrations, high liver (but average muscle) RNA:DNA ratio, poor bone quality, and heavy infestation with cestode larvae, the last being associated with extensive loss of muscle bundles. From previous work, Hudson River striped bass are known to have higher body burdens of chlorinated hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, heavy metals, and other contaminants than fish from the Potomac or Nanticoke rivers. A direct cause and effect has yet to be established, but we suggest that the symptoms of poor condition observed in Hudson River striped bass are consistent with exposure of these fish to stress from environmental contaminants.