Fish

About 350 species of fish are known to live in the Chesapeake Bay. Some fish species are year-round residents, while others swim into the Bay from the ocean or freshwater rivers during various times of the year to feed, reproduce or find shelter.

What Types of Fish Live in the Chesapeake Bay?

The fish in the Bay fall into two broad categories: resident and migratory. Resident fish live in the Bay year-round, while migratory fish visit the Bay during various times of the year to feed or spawn.

Resident Fish

Resident fish fall into two categories, based on the salinity of the water they live in.

• Freshwater fish live in non-tidal portions of the Bay's tributaries. Many of these fish move down into tidal fresh water and some even descend into brackish waters (up to 10 ppt).
• Estuarine fish can live in waters throughout the Bay and its tidal tributaries (from zero to 30 ppt). Their range may vary depending on temperature: generally, estuarine fish will stay closer to shore during the summer and move to deeper waters in the winter.

Migratory Fish

Migratory fish can be broken down into three categories. The first is based on water salinity, while the last two include fish that migrate between fresh and salt waters to reproduce.

• Marine fish usually live and spawn in coastal or ocean waters (salinities greater than 30 ppt) and move into the lower Bay during various parts of the year. Few marine fish travel north into the Maryland portion of the Bay.
• Anadromous fish migrate from the ocean to fresh water to spawn. An example of an anadromous fish found in the Bay is American shad.
• Catadromous fish migrate from fresh water to the ocean to spawn. The American eel is the only catadromous fish that lives in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Learn more about some common fish species that live in and visit the Chesapeake Bay.

How Are Fish Important?

Every species of fish found in the Bay has a place in the food web. Even smaller fish are needed in the Bay ecosystem. For example, small filter feeders like Atlantic menhaden and bay anchovies are vital links between the lower food web and higher-level predators. Menhaden and anchovies feed on plankton and, in turn, are a major food source for larger fish like striped bass and bluefish, which are economically valuable species.

For centuries, the wide diversity of fish species in the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers has provided a rich ground for commercial and recreational fisheries. Striped bass, white perch and menhaden are just a few of the many fish species that are sought out by anglers and/or commercial fishermen on the Bay.