# 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

## TL;DR

This study used genomic techniques to find no evidence of Florida bass in West Virginia, supporting the need to protect native largemouth bass genetic diversity.

## Contribution

The study provides the first genomic evaluation of Florida bass presence and genetic diversity in West Virginia largemouth bass populations.

## Key findings

- No Florida bass ancestry was detected in West Virginia largemouth bass populations.
- Genomic diversity was higher in Ohio River pools compared to inland reservoirs.
- Unique genetic ancestries were found in non-native largemouth bass populations due to stocking.

## Abstract

Florida bass are often stocked into largemouth bass populations in an attempt to create a trophy fishery due to the potential for enhanced growth. Largemouth bass populations were sampled from across the state of West Virginia and genotyped using two different genomic techniques to quantify the presence of Florida bass alleles and ancestry in the state. Using the two techniques, no presence of Florida bass ancestry was detected, highlighting either a lack of introduction or failed reproduction. Future management directions should emphasize stocking the native strain and avoid introducing Florida bass to conserve native genetic diversity.

Florida bass (Micropterus salmoides) and largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans) are iconic sport fish that hybridize readily, influencing fishery management practices. While the Florida bass has been introduced to various U.S. states to create trophy fisheries, its genetic introgression into native populations can lead to ecological and genetic consequences. Recognizing the need to assess Florida bass presence to guide future management directions, diagnostic SNPs were genotyped for 856 putative largemouth bass across 31 sampling locations across the state of West Virginia. Florida bass controls and a reduced representative sample of 226 individuals from 19 sampling locations were sequenced using the genotype-by-sequencing dd-RAD protocol. The results from the two genomic investigations found no Florida bass ancestry in West Virginia populations, suggesting either no introduction or failed reproductive success of Florida bass in the state. Among West Virginia largemouth bass populations, 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, as well as showing higher levels of potential inbreeding. 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 F1 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.