Possible New Bass Species

[MarkH024]

http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/news/scientists-discover-new-bass-species-283737.aspx

[WRB]

Thank you for sharing this important new bass species.

Tom

[Darren.]

Hey that's pretty awesome!

[GoTakeANap]

awesome!!!!!

[james 14]

I wonder if this is why most of those downriver, "delta" bass never grow very large??? I grew up fishing the Escambia River and a 5lb bass out of the lower end is a giant.

[Trailer]

So when can we add this to our Favorite Bass?

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[Sam]

And I thought all of the earth's species were doomed and in a few years all would be gone.

 

Wonderful news that a new species of bass was found. Maybe more will be uncovered in the years to come.

[Bankbeater]

Cool News!

[zwhiten12]

Awesome

[Gotfishyfingers?]

"Scientists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have uncovered a new species of black bass in the southeastern United States. Scientists have proposed naming the new species the Choctaw bass and recommended the scientific name ofMicropterus haiaka. They revealed their discovery at a meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society earlier this year.

FWC scientists first noted a DNA profile that did not belong to any recognized species while testing a bass specimen from the Chipola River in 2007, as part of a broader genetic study of bass.

“We didn’t set out to find a new species,” said Mike Tringali, who heads the genetics laboratory at the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. “It found us.”

After confirming the initial discovery, scientists searched for the DNA profile in bass caught in nearby rivers to determine the species’ range. They found that the Choctaw bass inhabits coastal river systems in Alabama and along the western Florida panhandle, including the Choctawhatchee River.

“We chose the name ‘Choctaw bass’ because the species’ range overlaps the historic range of the Choctaw Indians,” said Tringali. “As for our recommended scientific name,Micropterus haiaka,‘haiaka’ is a Choctaw word that means ‘revealed.’”

The American Fisheries Society must approve the suggested scientific name for it to take effect.

The Choctaw bass is very similar in appearance to its relative, the spotted bass. The physical differences between the two species are not easily seen with the naked eye, one reason they had never before been distinguished despite decades of bass studies in the region."

For more information about how FWC scientists discovered the new bass species, visit MyFWC.com/Research, click on “Freshwater,” and select “Black basses” under “Freshwater Sport Fishes.”

[Paul Roberts]

Very cool.

 

You know, I've always wanted to go catch every bass species. Some of the smaller Southern riverine Micropterae have me jazzed. Maybe someday.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Pretty sweet!!

[hooah212002]

Was a second thread about this really necessary?

[Fish Chris]

Right on

 

Along with the big three >  LMB (Florida's and Northern's, of course), Smallie's, and Spots, I've also caught Guadalupe Bass (in the Gaudalupe River, TX) and Redeye Bass.

 

Peace,

Fish

[Comfortably Numb]

Actually the freshwater basses are Sunfish and not a bass species

[J Francho]

Actually the freshwater basses are Sunfish and not a bass species

 

"Sunfish" is a common name for a family called Centrarchidae, to which several species of black bass belong. But in common terms, "black bass" refers to a subset of "sunfish" consisting of six or so species.

[Deadeye-1]

I got this as a Post from the FWC on Facebook. Overall they (the FWC) do a good job here when it comes to fishing.