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Species · Inshore

Atlantic Butterfish

Peprilus triacanthus

Also called Dollarfish.

Rules in 6 state rulebooks, checked Sep 16, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

Atlantic Butterfish
Drawing: NOAA Fisheries

How to tell it

A round silver coin of a fish with no ventral fins at all; slippery to hold.

Rules for

Every state

StateSizeBagSeasonToday
DelawareFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearNOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked Open
MarylandFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearNOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked Open
New JerseyFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearNOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked Open
New YorkFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearNOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked Open
North CarolinaNo size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundNC DMF 2026 · checked Open
VirginiaFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearNOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked Open

Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).

On the table

Excellent fried whole — a delicacy in Japan.

In the app

Point the camera at a atlantic butterfish and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.

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Questions anglers ask about atlantic butterfish

How do you tell atlantic butterfish from atlantic bumper?

Atlantic Butterfish has this: A round silver coin of a fish with no ventral fins at all; slippery to hold.. Atlantic Bumper has ventral fins and a black tail-base saddle.