{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "bass",
  "name": "Largemouth Bass",
  "scientificName": "Micropterus salmoides",
  "category": "Fish",
  "summary": "The largemouth bass is a top predator in North American lakes and rivers, named for a jaw extending past the eye. Prized by anglers worldwide, it strikes lures aggressively, grows to 10 kg (22 lb) in rich waters, and has been stocked on every continent except Antarctica for sport fishing.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Actinopterygii",
    "order": "Perciformes",
    "family": "Centrarchidae",
    "genus": "Micropterus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 2,
    "lengthM": 0.45,
    "topSpeedKmh": 20,
    "lifespanYears": 14
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Micropterus salmoides"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore — fish, crayfish, frogs, and insects"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Warm lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and slow rivers with cover"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "10–16 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "0.5–10 kg (1–22 lb); most caught fish 1–3 kg"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Explosive ambush strikes from cover"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Native to eastern and central North America from southern Canada through the Great Lakes and Mississippi basin to Florida; stocked worldwide for sport fishing in warm still waters.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa",
      "Asia",
      "Europe",
      "North America",
      "Oceania",
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Micropterus salmoides.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Micropterus%20salmoides&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Micropterus salmoides. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Micropterus_salmoides/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/bass/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/bass/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}