Bermuda ChuborAtlantic Spadefish
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
Bermuda Chub
Gray oval pier bruiser with faint brassy stripes and a small mouth; fights like a fish twice its size.
Atlantic Spadefish
Silver disc with faint dark bars; travels in spirals.
Atlantic spadefish, next to Bermuda chub: bold black bars on a disc body.
Side by side
| Bermuda Chub | Atlantic Spadefish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Kyphosus sectatrix | Chaetodipterus faber |
| Also called | Chopa | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 10 lb 5 oz · Alabama (2006) | 14 lb 14 oz · Virginia (2009) |
| On the table | Dark and strong — islanders eat it, most here release. | Good, crab-sweet. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 5 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 6 of 6 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), Bermuda chub is No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day and Atlantic spadefish is No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Bermuda Chub: size · bag · season | Atlantic Spadefish: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 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 |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| 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 limit20/day aggregate (max 10 spadefish)Open year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 14 in total length30 per boat per dayOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Virginia | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit4 per personOpen year-roundOpenVMRC 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, Bermuda chub or Atlantic spadefish, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell Bermuda chub from Atlantic spadefish?
Bermuda Chub: Gray oval pier bruiser with faint brassy stripes and a small mouth; fights like a fish twice its size. Atlantic Spadefish: Silver disc with faint dark bars; travels in spirals. Atlantic spadefish, next to Bermuda chub: bold black bars on a disc body.
Which gets bigger, Bermuda chub or Atlantic spadefish?
Atlantic Spadefish. The heaviest state record we hold is 14 lb 14 oz in Virginia; the heaviest Bermuda chub record is 10 lb 5 oz in Alabama.
Which is better to eat, Bermuda chub or Atlantic spadefish?
Bermuda Chub: Dark and strong — islanders eat it, most here release. Atlantic Spadefish: Good, crab-sweet.
Do Bermuda chub and Atlantic spadefish have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 6 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): Bermuda chub No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, Atlantic spadefish No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; Florida (Gulf): Bermuda chub No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, Atlantic spadefish no rule of its own; Georgia: Bermuda chub no rule of its own, Atlantic spadefish No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; North Carolina: Bermuda chub no rule of its own, Atlantic spadefish No size limit, 20/day aggregate (max 10 spadefish); South Carolina: Bermuda chub no rule of its own, Atlantic spadefish 14 in total length, 30 per boat per day; and more in the table on this page.