Hybrid Striped Bass History
The history of Hybrid Striped Bass is very interesting to me, and I wanted to share a few paragraphs from the book listed below for those that may be interested, which in turn necessitates a review of the Striped Bass history in North America.
The following review is based on historical references from:
CULTURE AND PROPAGATION OF STRIPED BASS AND ITS HYBRIDS
Edited by
Reginal M. Harrell
Jerome Howard Kirby
R. Vernon Minton
American Fisheries Society
Chapter 11, page 159
Hybridization, Genetic manipulation, and Gene Pool Conservation of striped Bass
“R.E. Stevens produced the first hybrids between female striped bass and male white bass (SBxWB) in South Carolina in 1965 (Bishop 1968). It has since been demonstrated the striped bass hybrids show heterosis (hybrid vigor), expressed in improved survival, superior early growth rates, greater disease resistance, and increased general hardiness………..
As a result, this hybrid has been artificially propagated and widely stocked in freshwater impoundments for control of shad (Dorosoma spp.) and as a food and sport fish. More recently, the reciprocal of the original cross, female white bass x male striped bass (WBxSB) has been used similarly, and its popularity with management biologists and commercial aquaculturists has increased dramatically over the past few years.
Chapter 1, page 1
History and Overview of Striped Bass Culture and Management
Striped Bass have long been utilized as food, and more recently as a superb sport fish and commercially cultured product. The Massachusetts Bay Colony passed the first legislation in Colonial America to protect a fish species in 1639, when the use of striped bass as fertilizer was prohibited. A tax was levied on the striped bass fishery in 1670 that partially funded the establishment of the first public schools in the new World (Setzler et al. 1980). Antropogenic effects on this species in terms of excessive harvest, destruction of habitat, and pollution have been discussed in literature for more than 100 years Worth 1884; Raney et al. 1952; Mansueti 1962; Coutant 1985a; Goodyear 1985; Price et al. 1985). In recent years antropogenic influences have likely been responsible for dramatic declines in several of the largest coastal populations, most notably Chesapeake Bay and Albermarle Sound (Mehrle et al. 1982)
Striped Bass have been considered desirable for transfer to other areas since they were first successfully introduced to the Pacific coast. In 1879 and 1881, 435 yearling fish were seined from the Navesink and Shrewbury Rivers in New Jersey, transported across the country by train, and released in San Francisco Bay. Within 10 years, an important fishery had developed in central California (Rainey et al. 1952). this population subsequently expanded from southern California to the Columbia River in Oregon.……………..
Inland striped bass programs grew rapidly following the development of culture methodology and facilities, and seven striped bass fisheries had been established in impoundments by 1970, and 23 by 1973 (Bailey 1975). By 1981, striped bass fisheries were established in 100 lakes and reservoirs with a total area slightly greater than 2.4 million acres, while hybrid bass fisheries were present in 179 impoundments (Axon and Whitehurst 1985). Inland striped bass and hybrid programs increased from two established fisheries, which totaled 210,000 acres in the mid-1950s, to 279 lakes (3,953,600 acres) in 1981. Crude estimates indicated these fisheries were yielding annual recreational harvests of over 5.5 million pounds of striped bass and hybrids by 1981.”
HYBRID STRIPED BASS
STRIPED BASS
HYBRID STRIPED BASS
http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000199 HSB Pond
http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000344 George's photos!
http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000308 HSB study results
http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000450 Winter feeding HSBTopic: Winter feeding HSB Topic: Winter feeding HSB
http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=003602 http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000180 http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000180 HSB in Hot Summer Weather
http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000341 HSB Lifespan
http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000509;p=1 HSB Pond Record
http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=003596 HSB/Striped Bass Analogy
http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=003651
