Goodbye, ‘largemouth bass’. Florida’s popular game fish has a new name.

Florida’s most popular freshwater game fish is getting a new name.

The largemouth bass, a coveted catch for anglers across Florida’s rivers and lakes, will now be known as the “Florida bass,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Wednesday.

The name change comes on the heels of a recent study by Yale University researchers that used genetic analysis to determine the Florida bass is its own distinct species.

Their analyses “dramatically reveal that the scientific names... have been incorrectly applied to the Largemouth Bass and Florida Bass over the past 75 years,” researchers wrote in their report, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports. The study also determined that Florida bass are more spread out than previously thought, with their range stretching through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

The American Fisheries Society, founded in 1870 to improve fisheries conservation with aquatic science, now considers the Florida bass as a separate species than the largemouth bass, according to Florida wildlife experts.

The scientific nomenclature previously used to describe largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, will now be used for the Florida bass species, according to the research. Largemouth bass will now be considered Micropterus nigricans.

For anglers, the name change is purely linguistic. Florida fisheries managers say the new name won’t come with updated regulations for either species, but state experts will now refer to Florida bass in regulations and other messaging. Excluding Florida’s western Panhandle, largemouth bass will now be referred to as Florida bass in booklets, signage and news releases, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“There is no need for anglers to distinguish between the two species for regulations purposes,” Florida wildlife managers wrote on a webpage dedicated to the Florida bass.

An angler wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a Florida bass and a largemouth bass, anyway. The two fish species visually look the same, and are indistinguishable to the naked eye. The only way to tell the difference is to run genetic testing, according to state biologists.

The Florida legislature in 1975 named the largemouth bass as the official state freshwater fish, according to the Florida Department of State. The state record catch is more than 17 pounds, though several larger fish have been caught but not certified.

Capt. Mike Shellen has been fishing in Lake Okeechobee, the acclaimed “Bass Capital of the World,” for more than four decades. The name change doesn’t come as a surprise to Shellen, who said anglers have long talked about a “Florida strain” of bass that seem to grow larger and quicker than other types.

“It’s always been different than a regular largemouth bass,” Shellen said in a phone interview Wednesday.

It may seem trivial, but the name change is an important step for preserving fish populations in Florida, according to state wildlife experts.

“Understanding and conserving fish species is crucial for sustainable recreational fishing and biodiversity preservation. The classification of species plays a key role in these efforts,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote on its website.

This new name “provides a critical foundation for better managing and conserving these important and iconic fish,” Florida wildlife officials wrote.

“It will aid in ensuring their continued conservation and sustainable use for future generations.”