14 3 Abstract—The hypothesis that striped bass (Morone saxatilis), blue- Use of gill nets and telemetry in tracking fish (Pomatomus saltatrix), weakfish movements and feeding of striped bass (Cynoscion regalis), and species of forage fish would be associated close- (Morone saxatilis), bluefish (Pomatomus ly with a salinity transition front was tested through sampling and tagging saltatrix), and weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) efforts. In a small New Jersey estu- at a salinity front in a small estuary ary, a station at a salinity front and another in a nearby channel were sampled weekly with gill nets. Abun- Linda L. Stehlik (contact author) dance of bluefish was significantly John P. Manderson greater at the front, and abundance Jeffrey Pessutti of weakfish was significantly greater at the channel. Forage fish were col- lected at both stations, and the diets Email address for contact author:
[email protected] of bluefish and weakfish overlapped in all seasons. Ultrasonically tagged Fisheries Ecology Branch striped bass, weakfish, and bluefish Ecosystems and Aquaculture Division were tracked concurrently, and their Northeast Fisheries Science Center home ranges, or the 95% probability National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA of their occurrences were computed. James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory Home ranges of tagged striped bass 74 Magruder Road occurred upriver and also near river Highlands, New Jersey 07732 kilometer 1. Home ranges of weak- fish were located in the midriver channels, and those of bluefish were located midriver and upriver at river kilometers 5–12. Home ranges for these 3 species were not limited to the area of the salinity front, con- trary to the initial hypothesis.