One of the Savannah River's most colorful fish will get some national attention later this year and might someday be designated as a new species altogether.

"We've been working on this a long time," said Dr. Bud Freeman, the director and zoology curator at the Georgia Museum of Natural History, who with other scientists has been quietly studying the redeye bass that thrives in the river's shoals near Augusta.

The redeye, known to locals as shoal bass or "shoalies," is smaller than its well-known cousin, the largemouth, and tends to seek out fast-flowing water in rocky channels where temperatures are too warm for trout, yet too cold for largemouths.

The recent studies have concluded the redeye bass in the Savannah River is very likely a new species, separated by at least 1 million years on the evolutionary chain from typical redeye found in similar shoals along the Altamaha and Ogeechee river drainages.

"It may be even longer than a million years," Freeman said. "They have similar genetics, but not the same."

This August, Freeman and other scientists from South Carolina will present various papers discussing the redeye, its hybridization with other bass and the potential for a new species in the Savannah during the National Fisheries Society's annual meeting in Nashville.

If the local redeye does become a new species, it will need a name.

One possible candidate is micropterus bartrami, or "Bartram's Bass," named after naturalist William Bartram, who first came to Augusta in 1773 and spent many of his subsequent years as a botanist and observer of the region's flora and fauna.

Freeman said it is likely other names would be considered as well.

"It would probably be a name that reflects something about the characteristics of the fish," he said. "Maybe the spots, the river systems, we're just not sure yet."

Designating a new species is easier said than done. Steps include approval through the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature and adherence to a series of rules.

Papers must be published, specimens must be deposited into museums, illustrations and descriptions must be prepared and detailed maps showing the species' habitat range are required, Freeman said.

The redeye bass is a threatened fish that could vanish altogether, he said.

Research indicates the redeye bass now exists only in the Augusta shoals; the Broad River shoals near Thurmond Lake; and one other river system, the Saluda, in South Carolina.

The fish is also threatened by hybridization of a new species that has found its way into the Augusta shoals: the smallmouth bass.

The larger, more dominant fish appeared in the Savannah River years ago and has been expanding rapidly in terms of size and numbers.

Local anglers can do their part to preserve the native fish.

If you catch a redeye, release it. If you land a big smallmouth, take it home and cook it!

FAMILY SURVIVOR: Friends of Mistletoe State Park will sponsor a "Family Survivor" competition June 5-7 in which competitors will test outdoor skills to win prizes that include two nights at one of the park's campsites.

All families that participate will win prizes.

On June 5, from 7-9 p.m., families will pick up clues for their scavenger hunt and trail hike. There is also an evening campground program that will count for extra points.

Competitive events to be held June 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. include water activities, a canoe race and golf-related games. June 7 events, to be held from 1-5 p.m., include learning to seine, fire and shelter building and camp cooking.

The winning family is determined by greatest comprehensive score.

The entry fee is $25 per family plus a $5 parking fee. Pre-registration is required before June 5.

All proceeds will go to the Friends of Mistletoe, a volunteer, nonprofit organization that helps with park projects.

For more information, contact Ranger Brenda Bettross at (706) 541-0321.