Micropterus is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (family Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. The species of this genus are known as the black basses. The black basses are sometimes erroneously called black trout, but the name trout more correctly refers to certain members of the salmon family. All Micropterus species have a dull-green base coloring with dark patterns on the sides. Most reach a maximum overall length of 40–60 cm (16–24 in), but some strains of the largemouth bass have been reported to grow to almost a full meter (just over three feet) in length.