Review of Stock Discrimination Techniques for Striped Bass

Abstract

Abstract Attempts to discriminate stocks of striped bass Morone saxatilis have spanned five decades. We review and evaluate the approaches used, outline research trends, and suggest research needs and potential future applications of stock discrimination techniques. There have been moderate gains over the years in the ability to discriminate among stocks, primarily due to the use of biochemical techniques. An important mixed-stock fishery for striped bass off the northeastern USA has focused the majority of stock discrimination efforts on identification of Atlantic coast populations. Many techniques have been applied alone or in combination. Phenotypic studies have involved the presence of specific parasites, meristic and morphometric characters, trace element composition of scales, scale morphology, and densitometric analysis of isoelectrically focused eye lens proteins. Genotypic techniques have included cytogenetics, protein electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, restriction endonuclease analysis of mi...