Report: New bass species ID'd

A collaborative years-long study of a fish unique to the Savannah River system in the southeast U.S. has resulted in the official recognition of a new species of bass.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources announced last week that the fish referred to as Redeye Bass is now named Bartram's Bass. The study's findings were published in the journal "Zootaxa". The study was supported by a Competitive State Wildlife Grant awarded to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Clemson University, and the University of Georgia.

The grant, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, helped advance research into the genetics, habitat, and conservation needs of this distinct fish. The species is described by lead author Byron Freeman and coauthors, who named it Bartram’s Bass with the scientific name Micropterus pucpuggy.

Bartram’s Bass is an endemic fish found only in the shared Savannah River drainage of South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina and included in both South Carolina and Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plans. The fish has distinctive dark vertical markings and typically don't exceed 14 inches in length.

Scientists are working to better understand conservation challenges facing these fish, including habitat changes and hybridization with non-native bass species.

In Georgia, the Tugaloo and Chattooga rivers along with Lake Hartwell and Lake Russell, both Savannah River reservoirs, hold Bartram's bass. In North Carolina, the Horsepasture and Toxaway rivers also hold fish.

To access the study's findings, click here.

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