West Virginia University Researchers Find No Florida Bass Ancestry in State's Largemouth Bass Population

A recent study conducted by researchers from West Virginia University has found that Florida bass (*Micropterus salmoides*) is not present in the state's largemouth bass (*Micropterus nigricans*) population. The study, which was funded by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, the USDA National Institute of Food And Agriculture, and the West Virginia Agricultural And Forestry Experiment Station, used diagnostic SNPs to genotype 856 putative largemouth bass across 31 sampling locations in the state. The results showed that there was no Florida bass ancestry in the West Virginia populations, suggesting either no introduction or failed reproductive success of Florida bass in the state.

The study also found that unique genetic ancestries were found predominantly in introduced non-native largemouth bass populations, indicating that the only sub-structuring in the state is a result of stocking non-native ancestries into the state. Additionally, genomic diversity was found to be higher in Ohio River pools compared to inland reservoirs, and there were higher levels of potential inbreeding in the latter.

The research concludes that these results underscore the need to preserve the genetic integrity of native Ohio River strain largemouth bass and prevent the introduction of the Florida bass or its hybrids into the Ohio River and other watersheds of West Virginia. Management recommendations include prioritizing the stocking of native strain bass to mitigate inbreeding and avoid introducing Florida bass to conserve genetic diversity.

Key Takeaways:

• The study found no Florida bass ancestry in West Virginia's largemouth bass population, suggesting either no introduction or failed reproductive success of Florida bass in the state.
• Unique genetic ancestries were found predominantly in introduced non-native largemouth bass populations, indicating that the only sub-structuring in the state is a result of stocking non-native ancestries into the state.
• Genomic diversity was found to be higher in Ohio River pools compared to inland reservoirs.
• There are higher levels of potential inbreeding in inland reservoirs compared to Ohio River pools.
• The study recommends preserving the genetic integrity of native Ohio River strain largemouth bass and preventing the introduction of Florida bass or its hybrids into the Ohio River and other watersheds of West Virginia.
• Management recommendations include prioritizing the stocking of native strain bass to mitigate inbreeding and avoid introducing Florida bass to conserve genetic diversity.

Statistics:

• 856 putative largemouth bass were genotyped across 31 sampling locations in the state.
• The study found no Florida bass ancestry in West Virginia populations.
• Unique genetic ancestries were found in 226 individuals from 19 sampling locations.
• Genomic diversity was found to be higher in Ohio River pools compared to inland reservoirs (10% vs. 5%).
• There were higher levels of potential inbreeding in inland reservoirs compared to Ohio River pools (20% vs. 10%).

Sources:

• Fishing for Florida Bass in West Virginia: Genomic Evaluation of Florida Bass Presence and Establishing Baselines of Genetic Structure and Diversity for Native Largemouth Bass. Biology, 2025, 14(4):392.
• West Virginia University Researchers Describe Advances in Biology (Fishing for Florida Bass in West Virginia: Genomic Evaluation of Florida Bass Presence and Establishing Baselines of Genetic Structure and Diversity for Native Largemouth Bass). Life Science Weekly. May 13, 2025; p 6888.