ANTHONY S. OVERTON AND MICHAEL J. VAN DEN AVYLE, Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Daniel B. Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA

Juvenile stages of striped bass Morone saxatilis depend on estuarine productivity for rapid growth and the habitat diversity of estuaries for protection from predation. Suitability of estuaries as nursery areas may be influenced by water temperature and salinity. Two age groups of juvenile striped bass were reared in the laboratory at three different salinities (0, 5, 10 ppt.) And two temperatures (25, 28 ^oC) to test the effects on growth rate, mortality, liver somatic index (LSI), and lipid concentration. At 25^oC, mean specific growth was significantly greater in salinities of 5 and 10 ppt. At 28^oC, salinity did not affect growth for either age group. Survival exceeded 98% survival at all temperature and salinity combinations. Lipid concentration increased with age, but LSI and lipid concentration did not differ with salinity. Unpublished data collected by the Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit show the fresh/saltwater interface is important in determining the location of juvenile striped bass in the Savannah and Ogeechee rivers. They are more abundant on the freshwater side of the interface. Since growth was only affected by higher salinity at 25^oC and salinity had no significant effects on any of the condition indices, factors other than salinity are probably contributing to the spatial distribution of juveniles.