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
