Atlantic MoonfishorLookdown
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 Moonfish
A vertical silver dish with a steep face and thin body; no trailing streamers.
Lookdown
Vertical chrome dinner plate with a high forehead.
Lookdown, next to Atlantic moonfish: long dorsal and anal streamers, flatter forehead.
Side by side
| Atlantic Moonfish | Lookdown | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Selene setapinnis | Selene vomer |
| Also called | — | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 1 lb 14.38 oz · Mississippi (2006) | 4.2 lb · Texas (2012) |
| On the table | Thin but tasty panfish. | Good, thin fillets. |
| Rules of its own in | 1 states | 0 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 1 of 1 states with a rule for either. In North Carolina, Atlantic moonfish is No size limit, No bag limit while lookdown 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 Moonfish: size · bag · season | Lookdown: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 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 moonfish or lookdown, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell Atlantic moonfish from lookdown?
Atlantic Moonfish: A vertical silver dish with a steep face and thin body; no trailing streamers. Lookdown: Vertical chrome dinner plate with a high forehead. Lookdown, next to Atlantic moonfish: long dorsal and anal streamers, flatter forehead.
Which gets bigger, Atlantic moonfish or lookdown?
Lookdown. The heaviest state record we hold is 4.2 lb in Texas; the heaviest Atlantic moonfish record is 1 lb 14.38 oz in Mississippi.
Which is better to eat, Atlantic moonfish or lookdown?
Atlantic Moonfish: Thin but tasty panfish. Lookdown: Good, thin fillets.
Do Atlantic moonfish and lookdown have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 1 state rulebooks. North Carolina: Atlantic moonfish No size limit, No bag limit, lookdown no rule of its own.