Virginia Largemouth Bass Populations Lack Geographic Pattern of Genetic Variation
The species largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides is comprised of two subspecies: northern largemouth bass M.s. salmoides and Florida largemouth bass M.s. floridanus. It is uncertain whether largemouth bass is native to the Atlantic slope and New drainages of Virginia. There exists a widely-held perception that Florida largemouth bass or F1 northern x Florida hybrids provide more trophy catches than northern largemouth bass, which has led to widespread stocking of Florida largemouth bass into native northern and intergrade largemouth bass populations. Twenty-four Virginia populations of...
