The article discusses the findings of research showing the interaction of diet and mycobacteriosis in striped bass Morone saxatilis in the Chesapeake Bay. Documented dietary changes in striped bass have shown shifts from preferred pelagic sources to benthic sources of prey. The study demonstrates that food quantity has a direct influence on the progression and severity of mycobacteriosis in fish. From examinations of inoculated fish, those that were fed with low rations developed severe, active systemic infection that ended in death within 4 to 6 weeks, while those that were properly nourished experienced classic granulomatous inflammation that resulted in controlled infection.