Bass
/ˈbæs/ is a name shared by many different species of fish. The term both encompasses freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order
Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English
bars, meaning "perch."
The temperate basses, such as the striped bass (
Morone saxatilis) and white bass (
M. chrysops), belong to the family
Moronidae. The black basses, such as the largemouth bass (
Micropterus salmoides), smallmouth bass (
M. dolomieu), spotted bass (
M. punctulatus), Choctaw bass (
M. haiaka), and Guadalupe bass (
M. treculii), belong to the sunfish family,
Centrarchidae.