Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose HSB gender question.

I got some new hybrid striped bass for the pond yesterday. I took a picture of one to show to the wife and kids. When my wife was looking at the photo I remembered that we Nebraskans are supposed to name our fish, so I told her that its name was "Alan". So of course she asked me how I knew that it was a boy. I said that all HSB are male, or is it female, or it doesn't matter because they are all sterile. I confused myself. Somebody help me out here. What's the deal with HSB gender and reproduction?

HSB are both male and female and they are not sterile. Natural reproduction by HSB is quite rare though as they have a hybrid egg between it's parents species, one that is too heavy to bounce along the bottom, but isn't sticky... So basically it wedges in between rocks and usually gets smothered by silt before it can hatch. But, once in a rare while it doesn't get smothered and the egg hatches...

Generally male HSB will be substantially smaller than female HSB and usually more numerous. This is also found in both parental species and is particularly noticeable in the striped bass.