Neosho bass were formerly considered a subspecies of smallmouth bass. They are restricted to the Central Interior Highland portion of the Ozarks in southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas, and northeast Oklahoma. Neosho bass can be differentiated from smallmouth bass through their noticeable underbite, smaller soft dorsal ray count, and slender body shape. Neosho bass populations are threatened by the introduction of smallmouth bass into their small range, a story that is sadly common when it comes to the lesser known black bass species.