JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Largemouth bass in Florida have been renamed "Florida bass," after a study uncovered the popular game fish to be a little different in the Sunshine State.
The American Fisheries Society established that Florida bass are a separate species from the Largemouth after a recent research publication by Yale University. The study used advanced genetic analysis to determine a difference between the two.
"Genetics studies confirmed what many anglers and biologists have believed for a long time – Florida bass are special," the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
This change will affect how the fish is referred to in regulations and other communications, but it will not affect anglers, FWC added. It also doesn't include fish caught in the western Panhandle.
The scientific names of the Florida bass and Largemouth bass also changed. Florida bass are now called Micropterus salmoides, the former name of the Largemouth. Largemouth bass are now Micropterus nigricans.
"Understanding and conserving fish species is crucial for sustainable recreational fishing and biodiversity preservation," FWC said. "The classification of species plays a key role in these efforts."
