Black DurgonorGray Triggerfish
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
Black Durgon
Jet-black triggerfish with pale blue lines along the dorsal and anal fin bases; open-water reef schooler.
Gray Triggerfish
Leathery gray diamond body, trigger-locking first dorsal spine, tiny chisel teeth.
Gray triggerfish, next to black durgon: gray, mottled.
Side by side
| Black Durgon | Gray Triggerfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Melichthys niger | Balistes capriscus |
| Also called | Black triggerfish | Trigger |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 13 lb 9 oz · South Carolina (1989) |
| On the table | Edible but rarely kept. | Excellent — tough hide, worth the effort. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 9 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 9 of 9 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), black durgon is No size limit, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate and gray triggerfish is 12 in fork length min, 10 per person. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Black Durgon: size · bag · season | Gray Triggerfish: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 15 in fork length minimum1 per personState waters follow federal Gulf season; closed annually Jan-Feb and Jun-JulOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateYear-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 12 in fork length min10 per personOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateYear-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 15 in fork length min1 per personOpen Mar 1-May 31 and Aug 1-Dec 31OpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12 in fork length10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 15 in fork length1 per person within reef fish aggregateOpen Mar. 1–May 31 and Aug. 1–Dec. 31; closed Jan. 1–Feb. 28 and June 1–July 31OpenLDWF 2026 · checked |
| Mississippi | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 15 in fork length minimum1 per personOpen Aug 1 – Dec 31, 2026OpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12 in fork length10 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. | 12 in fork length20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate (max 10 of any one species)Open year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 16 in total length20Open year-roundOpenTPWD 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, black durgon or gray triggerfish, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell black durgon from gray triggerfish?
Black Durgon: Jet-black triggerfish with pale blue lines along the dorsal and anal fin bases; open-water reef schooler. Gray Triggerfish: Leathery gray diamond body, trigger-locking first dorsal spine, tiny chisel teeth. Gray triggerfish, next to black durgon: gray, mottled.
Which is better to eat, black durgon or gray triggerfish?
Black Durgon: Edible but rarely kept. Gray Triggerfish: Excellent — tough hide, worth the effort.
Do black durgon and gray triggerfish have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 9 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): black durgon No size limit, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate, gray triggerfish 12 in fork length min, 10 per person; Florida (Gulf): black durgon No size limit, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate, gray triggerfish 15 in fork length min, 1 per person; Alabama: black durgon no rule of its own, gray triggerfish 15 in fork length minimum, 1 per person; Georgia: black durgon no rule of its own, gray triggerfish 12 in fork length, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; Louisiana: black durgon no rule of its own, gray triggerfish 15 in fork length, 1 per person within reef fish aggregate; and more in the table on this page.