Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Redeye Bass (Micropterus coosae) - Uncertain Risk

Micropterus coosae, the Redeye Bass, is a freshwater fish that is native to the Coosa River basin in the southeastern United States. M. coosae is relatively small compared to other species of black bass (Micropterus spp.) and commonly found in rocky runs and pools of creeks and in small to medium sized rivers. They are often targeted by anglers and have been stocked for sportfishing outside of their native range in several U.S. States and Puerto Rico. However, the species M. coosae was recently taxonomically redefined, so some of these introductions may have involved closely related species in the M. coosae species group rather than M. coosae itself. New Jersey is the only U.S. State that regulates this species. The History of Invasiveness for M. coosae is classified as Data Deficient due to a lack of information regarding impacts of introduction and trade. The climate matching analysis for the contiguous United States indicates establishment concern for this species outside its native range, with the highest climate matches occurring in the Southeast and Southwest. The Certainty of Assessment for this ERSS is classified as Low due to lack of information regarding impacts of introduction and trade. The Overall Risk Assessment Category for Micropterus coosae in the contiguous United States is Uncertain.

Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.