Maturation and fecundity of Roanoke River/Albemarle Sound striped bass (Morone saxatilis) / by Erik J. Olsen.
| Author/creator | Olsen, Erik J. author. |
| Other author | Rulifson, Roger A. (Roger Allen), 1951- degree supervisor. |
| Other author | East Carolina University. Department of Biology. |
| Format | Theses and dissertations |
| Production | 1991. |
| Description | [vii], 65 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Access via ScholarShip |
| Subjects |
| Variant title | Abstract title: Maturation and fecundity of Roanoke/Albemarle striped bass |
| Summary | Since the early 1940s, several investigators have determined age to maturity schedules for female striped bass (Morone saxatilis) at various locations along the eastern seaboard. Techniques utilized by Specker and colleagues at the University of Rhode Island suggest that methods used by Merriman (1941) and Lewis (1962) may underestimate the number of females entering the spawning population at an early age (e.g., ages 3 and 4). Such information is important for developing management plans involving harvest quotas and size limits to allow females to reach spawning age before harvest. At the present time, managing the harvest of striped bass within the Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, is controversial; harvest quotas and size limits based on Chesapeake Bay maturation schedules might be implemented if information on the present age to maturity rate of Roanoke fish is not determined. The objective of my study was to establish a maturity schedule for Roanoke female striped bass participating in the 1989 and 1990 spawning seasons, and estimate the potential fecundity of the fish as a function of size and age. A total of 265 female striped bass was collected from the Roanoke/Albemarle system during the pre-spawning and spawning seasons (March through May) of 1989 and 1990. Length, total weight, and gonadal weight were recorded for each fish. A portion of each ovary was removed and histologically prepared for oocyte measurement. Potential fecundity was determined gravimetrically. Ages were determined using scales. Females ranged in size from 344 to 1172 mm FL and 2 to 16 years of age. Maturity estimates using the methods of Merriman (1941), Lewis (1962), and Specker et al. (1987) were very similar and not significantly different, indicating that about 44% of age 3 females were sexually mature, and all females examined were mature by age 6. Regression analysis indicated that age 3 females produce approximately 200,000 eggs. A curvilinear relationship exists between fish age and the number of eggs produced, with greatest increase between age 6 and age 10. These data suggest that Roanoke female striped bass may mature at an earlier age than those from other systems. The rate of maturity by age compared to previous Roanoke/Albemarle studies appears to be increasing. During the 1950s, only 4% of age 3 females were mature; while in the early 1980s, approximately 18% of age 3 females were mature. This trend may be due to slight differences in the earlier studies, or to unknown factors perhaps related to environmental stress, fishing pressure, and/or genetic differences. |
| General note | Submitted to the faculty of the Department of Biology. |
| General note | Advisor: Roger A. Rulifson |
| Dissertation note | M.S. East Carolina University 1991 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-65). |
| 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 |
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |