Striped bass (including hybrid striped bass) are popular aquaculture species in the US, with welfare considerations around crowding, disease, and slaughter.
Striped bass are active, schooling fish with clear stress responses to handling, crowding, and poor water quality. In intensive aquaculture settings, stocking densities must be carefully managed to prevent oxygen depletion and disease outbreaks. Fish in distress show characteristic behaviors including loss of equilibrium and surface gulping. Chronic low-grade stressors reduce immune function and welfare simultaneously. Slaughter welfare is a significant concern — percussive stunning followed by bleeding is considered more humane than common alternatives but is rarely used in commercial striped bass production. The welfare of these fish deserves more attention than it currently receives.