Barred GruntorWhite Grunt
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
Barred Grunt
Yellow-brown grunt with dark vertical bars and strong serrated cheek spines.
White Grunt
Blue and yellow stripes on the head, bright orange mouth lining, grunts when landed.
White grunt, next to barred grunt: no bars, blue striped head.
Side by side
| Barred Grunt | White Grunt | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Conodon nobilis | Haemulon plumierii |
| Also called | Grunt | Gray grunt, Key West grunt |
| Waters | Inshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 5 lb 10 oz · South Carolina (2015) |
| On the table | Edible, small. | Very good panfish. |
| Rules of its own in | 0 states | 4 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 4 of 4 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), white grunt is No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate while barred grunt has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Barred Grunt: size · bag · season | White Grunt: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit20/day aggregate, max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, barred grunt or white grunt, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell barred grunt from white grunt?
Barred Grunt: Yellow-brown grunt with dark vertical bars and strong serrated cheek spines. White Grunt: Blue and yellow stripes on the head, bright orange mouth lining, grunts when landed. White grunt, next to barred grunt: no bars, blue striped head.
Which is better to eat, barred grunt or white grunt?
Barred Grunt: Edible, small. White Grunt: Very good panfish.
Do barred grunt and white grunt have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 4 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): barred grunt no rule of its own, white grunt No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; Georgia: barred grunt no rule of its own, white grunt No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; North Carolina: barred grunt no rule of its own, white grunt No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; South Carolina: barred grunt no rule of its own, white grunt No size limit, 20/day aggregate, max 10 of any one species.