Biologists use DNA to Identify Two “New” Bass Species

Bartram’s bass. Photograph: UGA

Trout anglers have lengthy been accustomed to taxonomic adjustments—a few of us are sufficiently old to recollect the seismic shock of Salmo gairdneri altering to Oncorhynchus mykiss—however the bass world has seen its share, as nicely. Lately, anglers within the Southeast realized that the bass they’ve been catching their entire lives may not be the bass they thought they have been. And article by Chris Hunt in Hatch Magazine tells the entire story:

Late this summer season, ecologists with the College of Georgia have formally declared the presence of two “new” black bass subspecies — the Bartram’s bass and the Altamaha bass. Each species have been beforehand recognized, however solely lately, because of using mitochondrial DNA evaluation, have been they confirmed as distinct species of the black-bass lineage based mostly within the genus micropterus (and, sure, smallmouth bass are on this genus, too).

Click here for the full story in Hatch Magazine