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A group spearheaded by University of Georgia ecologists recorded two novel species of black bass, Bartram’s bass and Altamaha bass, in a recent publication.

While the descriptions of these two species are recent, encounters with the fish are not. Ecologist Bud Freeman first met Micropterus pucpuggy, now referred to as Bartram’s bass, during the 1980s. A couple on the Broad River presented him with the fish from their cooler, and he instantly realized it was unique, offering them $5 for it. Their reply? “No, man. We’re taking it home to cook.”

“That would have been a significant specimen,” remarked Freeman, the principal author of the research and a senior public service associate emeritus at the UGA Odum School of Ecology.

In the years following that initial encounter, Freeman and his associates gathered samples of both species. Bartram’s bass were retrieved from 14 sites in the Savannah and Saluda River basins, while Altamaha bass were obtained from 14 locations within the Altamaha and Ogeechee River basins.

New fish showcase physical, genetic distinctions

Both species were previously deemed synonymous with redeye bass, but each possesses unique physical traits. Bartram’s bass are pale gold, displaying patterned dark brown spots on their sides, a rosy-pink fin, and a speckled abdomen. They have an oval tooth patch in their mouth and carmine-red eyes surrounded by a slender gold ring. They can reach lengths of 15 inches.

Altamaha bass, or Micropterus calliurus, possess pale gold scales with olive edges, darker brown spots on their sides, and orange on their fin edges. They have a small oval tooth patch in their mouth and red eyes with a fine gold margin surrounding the pupil. They can grow to 14 inches in length.

However, the team did not only document the physical disparities — they also recorded genetic information.

“It used to be necessary to catch the fish, bring it back, count the scales, measure the tail, and write a description to conclude the process,” explained Mary Freeman, co-author of the study and adjunct faculty at the Odum School. “Now, genetic analysis is part of the equation. In this study, there’s genetic characterization for every single individual that was analyzed to avoid including hybrid specimens.”

Identifying “pure” individual fish involved analyzing mitochondrial DNA and employing bioinformatics methods to compare short DNA sequences within the nuclear genome. More than 100 specimens were referenced in the findings for the two new species, and the complete dataset encompasses 570 individuals, including Bartram’s and Altamaha bass, as well as smallmouth, largemouth, northern spotted, shoal, Tallapoosa, redeye, and Alabama bass.

“You’re establishing a foundation for the future,” stated Mary Freeman. “Hybridization could result in Bartram’s bass not existing as it has up to now, but we’ll know what it was.”

New environments may facilitate hybridization among bass

Bartram’s and Altamaha bass are riverine species primarily found in pools and runs connected to rocky shoal environments. They now persist in river systems where the habitat has been significantly altered due to sedimentation and disrupted by dams. The influx of other Micropterus species from outside their natural habitats heightens the risk of hybridization, potentially jeopardizing their future.

“These evolutionarily distinct lineages are crucial to identify,” stated Bud Freeman. “By recognizing these species, we acknowledge the rapid loss they face as external barriers are compromised by human activities.”

He introduced the name Bartram’s bass in the ‘90s. M. pucpuggy honors the Seminole-Creek inhabitants of Florida, whose chief bestowed the title “Puc Puggy,” meaning “Flower Hunter,” upon William Bartram. Bartram’s explorations between 1773 and 1776 took him through the native habitat of M. pucpuggy, where he documented flora and fauna including fish previously unknown to North American settlers.

Altamaha bass, or M. calliurus, received its name later. Calliurus is derived from the words call- i, meaning beautiful, and urus, meaning tail.

Published in Zootaxa, the study was co-authored by Kelly N. Petersen, Bryson G. Hilburn, and Mary C. Freeman from the Odum School of Ecology; John P. Wares from the Odum School of Ecology and UGA Department of Genetics; Mark C. Scott from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources; Natalia J. Bayona-Vásquez from Oxford College of Emory University; and Andrew T. Taylor from the University of North Georgia.

Funding for this project was provided through a Competitive State Wildlife Grant to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

The post UGA ecologists document two new species of bass initially appeared on UGA Today.

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