Bermuda ChuborSheepshead
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.
Sheepshead
Bold black vertical bars and startlingly human-like teeth.
Sheepshead, next to Bermuda chub: convict bars and human-looking teeth.
Side by side
| Bermuda Chub | Sheepshead | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Kyphosus sectatrix | Archosargus probatocephalus |
| Also called | Chopa | Convict fish |
| Waters | Nearshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 10 lb 5 oz · Alabama (2006) | 21.25 lb · Louisiana (1982) |
| On the table | Dark and strong — islanders eat it, most here release. | Excellent — sweet, crab-fed; famously hard to clean. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 10 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 10 of 10 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), Bermuda chub is No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day and sheepshead is 12 in TL min, 8 per person. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Bermuda Chub: size · bag · season | Sheepshead: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12 in fork length minimum8 per personOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 12 in TL min8 per personOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 12 in TL min8 per personOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 10 in fork length15 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenGA DNR CRD 2026 · checked |
| Maryland | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12 in min4Open year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked |
| Mississippi | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 14 in total length minimum15 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 14" TL min5/dayOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 14 in total length10/day, max 30/boatOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 15 in total length5Open year-roundOpenTPWD 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 sheepshead, 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 sheepshead?
Bermuda Chub: Gray oval pier bruiser with faint brassy stripes and a small mouth; fights like a fish twice its size. Sheepshead: Bold black vertical bars and startlingly human-like teeth. Sheepshead, next to Bermuda chub: convict bars and human-looking teeth.
Which gets bigger, Bermuda chub or sheepshead?
Sheepshead. The heaviest state record we hold is 21.25 lb in Louisiana; the heaviest Bermuda chub record is 10 lb 5 oz in Alabama.
Which is better to eat, Bermuda chub or sheepshead?
Bermuda Chub: Dark and strong — islanders eat it, most here release. Sheepshead: Excellent — sweet, crab-fed; famously hard to clean.
Do Bermuda chub and sheepshead have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 10 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): Bermuda chub No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, sheepshead 12 in TL min, 8 per person; Florida (Gulf): Bermuda chub No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, sheepshead 12 in TL min, 8 per person; Alabama: Bermuda chub no rule of its own, sheepshead 12 in fork length minimum, 8 per person; Georgia: Bermuda chub no rule of its own, sheepshead 10 in fork length, 15 per person per day; Maryland: Bermuda chub no rule of its own, sheepshead 12 in min, 4; and more in the table on this page.