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Species · Nearshore

Belted Sandfish

Serranus subligarius

Rules in 2 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.

How to tell it

Small brown-and-white banded sea bass with a dark blotch on the belly; a tiny serranid of pilings and rock.

Rules for

Every state

StateSizeBagSeasonToday
Florida (Atlantic)No size limitSee noteYear-roundFWC 2026 · likely · checked Check
Florida (Gulf)No size limitSee noteYear-roundFWC 2026 · likely · checked Check

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

On the table

Not a food fish.

In the app

Point the camera at a belted sandfish 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 belted sandfish

How many belted sandfish can you keep?

Florida (Atlantic): See note; Florida (Gulf): See note.