Discover Life Cycle of Striped Bass

Female striped bass lay their eggs in estuaries usually during April, May and early June when the water temperature is warm. One female striped bass can lay up to 3 million eggs!

If fertilized by the male striped bass, the eggs begin to grow as they float downstream. When time to hatch, the tiny fish is less than 1/4 inch long (the size of a pencil eraser), transparent, and unable to swim against the currents.

It has a heavy yolk sac it uses for nourishment for the first 4 or 5 days.

 
After the yolk sac is used up, the small fish is able to swim.

The young fish will eat small zooplankton including shrimp, water fleas, and copepods.

These pictures are greatly magnified so you can clearly see them.

If shown actual size, they would be as small as this “x” or smaller.

Look familiar? Plankton on Sponge Bob Square Pants is an animated copepod.
 
 
 
An adult striped bass looks like this:

 
 
Young fish often look much different than their adult selves.