Striped Bass - Morone saxatilis
I watched this gull pull a bass out of the ocean! I have no idea if the bird stole it from someone else, found it, or killed it on its own. But, the fish was big (maybe 50-60 cm long) and I can't imagine a gull being able to kill and carry it. I watched the gull eat the insides of the fish's head before flying away. I was surprised that it didn't eat more. And, I waited a few minutes, but it didn't return.
*In this photo, the gull is plucking the guts out of the fish's head. Most of the fish is still underwater in this photo.
Habitat: Low tide beach
The striped bass, also called Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has also been widely introduced into inland recreational fisheries across the United States. Striped bass found in the Gulf of Mexico are a separate strain referred to as Gulf Coast striped bass.
