Bass (fish)
|
Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) |
Bass (
IPA /bæs/) is a name shared by many different species of popular game
fish. The term encompasses both
freshwater and
marine species, many of which are native to
North America and surrounding waters. All belong to the large order
Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word
bass comes from Middle English
bars, meaning "perch."
These are some of the most well-known species of bass:
*The
temperate basses, such as the
striped bass (
Morone saxatilis) and
white bass (
M. chrysops), belonging to the family
Moronidae.
*The
warm water basses, such as the
largemouth bass (
Micropterus salmoides),
smallmouth bass (
M. dolomieu),
spotted bass (
M. punctulatus),
Guadalupe bass (
M. treculii) and
rock bass (
Ambloplites rupestris), belonging to the sunfish family,
Centrarchidae. These basses are also referred to as black basses.
Many other species are also known as basses,
including:
*The
Australian bass,
Macquaria novemaculeata, a member of the perch family,
Percichthyidae.
*The
black sea bass,
Centropristis striata, a member of the family
Serranidae.
*The
giant sea bass Stereolepis gigas, also known as the
black sea bass, a member of the family
Polyprionidae.
*The Chilean sea bass,
Dissostichus eleginoides, more commonly known as the
Patagonian toothfish.
*The
European seabass,
Dicentrarchus labrax.
