FWC Scientists Discover New Species of Bass in Florida Waters

Anglers are about to get a new fish to go after, according to scientists. In addition to the largemouth and peacock bass, Florida now plays home to a new species: the Choctaw bass.

Researchers with the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission actually found the fish earlier this year. Yet it isn't until now that they're publicly announcing their discovery. They've decided to name the new species Micropterus haiaka with the more common name of the Choctaw 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, in a press release. "It found us."

In fact, the fish was found as part of a broad study of bass genetics. As the researchers tested different DNA profiles of the fish, they discovered that the Choctaw bass was different from any other recognized species. This, in turn, made them realized that they'd discovered an entirely new species of bass.

The scientists weren't done yet, though. They searched for the DNA profile in bass caught in nearby rivers in order to see exactly where this new species' range was. In the end, they found that the Choctaw bass was located in coastal rivers in Alabama and along the western Florida panhandle, including the Choctawhatchee River.

It's this river in particular that's given the new fish its name. The bass's range overlaps with the historic territory of the Choctaw Indians. Because of this, the researchers decided to name the fish after the Native Americans.

So how did researchers overlook the existence of this fish for so long? It's actually easier than you might think. The fish is very similar in appearance to the spotted bass, which made it difficult for scientists to identify the new species without the use of DNA analysis.

Currently, the scientific name hasn't been approved for this new fish. The American Fisheries Society must actually confirm the suggested name before it becomes official, according to Florida Today.