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.

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