New Name, Same Fish: Largemouth Bass Are Now Florida Bass

July 23, 2024

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says genetics studies confirmed what many anglers and biologists have believed for a long time – Florida bass are special.

Florida’s most popular freshwater game fish has a new name. The American Fisheries Society established the Florida bass as a separate species from the largemouth bass. This means that in most of Florida what was known as a largemouth bass is now called a Florida bass.

The name change will affect how the fish is referred to in regulations and other communications. However, it will not affect anglers fishing for this iconic freshwater sport fish.

According to the recent research publication by Yale University, the study used advanced genetic analysis and determined Florida bass to be its own species. The research also identified the range of Florida bass to be larger than once believed, including not only Florida, but also parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

The scientific names of these two bass also changed. Largemouth bass, previously Micropterus salmoides, is now the scientific name for Florida bass. Largemouth bass are now Micropterus nigricans.

Comments

3 Responses to “New Name, Same Fish: Largemouth Bass Are Now Florida Bass”

  1. Roger on July 24th, 2024 12:22 am

    Rest easy JJ there are indeed largemouth in Arkansas lakes. I know having fished there. As you go north or west it becomes more likely to meet up with the smallmputh

  2. Roger on July 24th, 2024 12:02 am

    Growing up in the south there’s bass.
    If you say bass you mean large mouth bass. If you mean smallmouth you say so.
    Florida can call a bucket mouth what ever it wants but in the south it will always be a largemouth.

  3. JJ on July 23rd, 2024 5:29 pm

    Florida bass in Arkansas on private ponds ,not sure in public waters.
    Tranplanted!!!! years ago by a known man

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports