Bass, Mullet, Drum, Croaker

Bass is a very general name used for many quite different and unrelated salt- and freshwater fish on both sides of the Atlantic and Pacific. The common denominator of the saltwater bass is a fine, firm flesh and a color that varies from blue-gray to black. Sea bass live off or close to shore, depending on the species, and many are migratory, moving to warmer deep waters in winter.

With regard to culinary merit, Europeans would probably claim highest honors for common (sea) bass but Americans would undoubtedly choose their East Coast striped bass. One of the most colorful of all fish is the species of sea bass called tilefish, with hues varying from a blue-green back with yellow spots down to a bright rose belly. It is native to the northwest Atlantic.