Atlantic ButterfishorAtlantic Bumper
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Atlantic Butterfish
A round silver coin of a fish with no ventral fins at all; slippery to hold.
Atlantic Bumper
Little slab-sided jack with a black saddle on the tail base and a belly that sags below a straight back.
Atlantic bumper, next to Atlantic butterfish: has ventral fins and a black tail-base saddle.
Side by side
| Atlantic Butterfish | Atlantic Bumper | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Peprilus triacanthus | Chloroscombrus chrysurus |
| Also called | Dollarfish | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 0 lb 4.52 oz · Mississippi (2019) |
| On the table | Excellent fried whole — a delicacy in Japan. | Small and bony — bait grade. |
| Rules of its own in | 6 states | 1 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 5 of 6 states with a rule for either. In Delaware, Atlantic butterfish is No size limit, No bag limit while Atlantic bumper has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Atlantic Butterfish: size · bag · season | Atlantic Bumper: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearOpenFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Maryland | No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearOpenFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| New Jersey | No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearOpenFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| New York | No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearOpenFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| North Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked |
| Virginia | No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearOpenFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, Atlantic butterfish or Atlantic bumper, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell Atlantic butterfish from Atlantic bumper?
Atlantic Butterfish: A round silver coin of a fish with no ventral fins at all; slippery to hold. Atlantic Bumper: Little slab-sided jack with a black saddle on the tail base and a belly that sags below a straight back. Atlantic bumper, next to Atlantic butterfish: has ventral fins and a black tail-base saddle.
Which is better to eat, Atlantic butterfish or Atlantic bumper?
Atlantic Butterfish: Excellent fried whole — a delicacy in Japan. Atlantic Bumper: Small and bony — bait grade.
Do Atlantic butterfish and Atlantic bumper have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 5 state rulebooks. Delaware: Atlantic butterfish No size limit, No bag limit, Atlantic bumper no rule of its own; Maryland: Atlantic butterfish No size limit, No bag limit, Atlantic bumper no rule of its own; New Jersey: Atlantic butterfish No size limit, No bag limit, Atlantic bumper no rule of its own; New York: Atlantic butterfish No size limit, No bag limit, Atlantic bumper no rule of its own; Virginia: Atlantic butterfish No size limit, No bag limit, Atlantic bumper no rule of its own.