State Fish Of South Carolina

State Fish Of South Carolina

Striped Bass Is The Official State Fish Of South Carolina. South Carolina designated striped bass (Morone saxatilis) as the official South Carolina State Fish in 1972. The National Fish Of South Carolina Striped Bass is the largest member of the sea bass family, often called “temperate” or “true” bass to distinguish it from species such as largemouth and spotted bass which is actually members of the sunfish family Centrarchidae. As with other true basses, the dorsal fin is clearly separated into spiny and soft-rayed portions.

State Fish Of South Carolina Striped bass is silvery, shading to olive-green on the back and white on the belly, with seven or eight uninterrupted horizontal stripes on each side of the body. The average length of National Fish Of South Carolina striped bass is between 20 and 36 inches while the standard weight can be between 30 and 40 pounds. This fish species tend to live for approximately 30 years. Younger fish may resemble white bass. However, striped bass has two distinct tooth patches on the back of the tongue, whereas white bass has one tooth patch.

South Carolina State Fish Striped bass has two sharp points on each gill cover, and white bass has one. The largest recorded striped bass in the world was reeled in near Atlantic City, New Jersey, weighed 78 pounds, 8 ounces. In South Carolina, the record goes to Terry McConnell who caught a 63 pounder in Lake Russell back in 2009. 

 

Facts About South Carolina’s Official State Fish

  1. Each year, Clarendon County hosts a Striped Bass Festival, celebrating both spring and, of course, the fish of the hour.
  2. National Fish Of South Carolina Striped bass has four nostrils. There is a pair on either side of their nose, with the two openings separated by a thin membrane.
  3. South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources says that all of the state’s coastal rivers provide a healthy environment for striped bass. You’ll find the most in Savannah, Cooper, and Santee rivers.
  4. The average length of striped bass is between 20 and 36 inches while the standard weight can be between 30 and 40 pounds. This fish species tend to live for approximately 30 years.
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