Food Habits of Striped bass ( Morone saxatilis ) in Coastal Waters of Massachusetts

Stomach contents of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) collected from three coastal regions of Massachusetts during June-September in 1997-2000 were examined for patterns in prey composition and body size related to coastal region, time period of capture, foraging habitat, and length of striped bass. Together fish (mostly Clupeidae, Menidia sp., and Ammodytes sp.) and crustaceans (mostly Crangon septemspinosa, Cancer irroratus, and Homarus americanus) dominated the diet of striped bass by both weight (91-95%) and number (87-97%), and had a high frequency of occurrence (42-66%) in the stomachs. Similarity in prey taxa among coastal regions was moderate to high (58-74%). Cluster analysis and ordination techniques grouped the stomach contents from each region by capture period, habitat, and 50 mm striped bass length interval. The stomach contents of bass