A fish long recognized by anglers and biologists as unique to the Savannah River system has officially been described as a new species of bass. Once referred to as the “Redeye Bass,” the newly named species is the result of decades of research and collaboration among scientists across the Southeast.
The formal description, published this month in the journal Zootaxa, follows years of study supported by a Competitive State Wildlife Grant awarded to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Clemson University, and the University of Georgia.
The grant, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, helped advance research into the genetics, habitat, and conservation needs of this distinct fish. The species is described by lead author Byron Freeman and coauthors, who named it Bartram’s Bass with the scientific name Micropterus pucpuggy…