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Species · Lookalikes

Black MargateorWhite Margate

Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.

Studio photograph of a Black Margate (Anisotremus surinamensis), side view, on a white background
Black MargateAnisotremus surinamensis
Studio photograph of a White Margate (Haemulon album), side view, on a white background
White MargateHaemulon album

Rules for both fish from 4 state rulebooks, checked Oct 29, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

How to tell them apart

Black Margate

Chunky pale grunt with a black smudge behind the pectoral and jet-black fins; sheepshead-deep body.

White Margate

Big pale grunt, high back, quiet colors.

White margate, next to black margate: no black blotch.

Side by side

Black MargateWhite Margate
Scientific nameAnisotremus surinamensisHaemulon album
Also calledPompon—
WatersNearshoreNearshore
Heaviest state record12.8 lb · Texas (2000)19.5 lb · Florida (2011)
On the tableGood.Good panfish.
Rules of its own in0 states4 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 margate is No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate while black margate has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.

StateBlack Margate: size · bag · seasonWhite Margate: 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
GeorgiaNot 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 CarolinaNot 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 CarolinaNot 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, black margate or white margate, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.

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Questions anglers ask

How do you tell black margate from white margate?

Black Margate: Chunky pale grunt with a black smudge behind the pectoral and jet-black fins; sheepshead-deep body. White Margate: Big pale grunt, high back, quiet colors. White margate, next to black margate: no black blotch.

Which gets bigger, black margate or white margate?

White Margate. The heaviest state record we hold is 19.5 lb in Florida; the heaviest black margate record is 12.8 lb in Texas.

Which is better to eat, black margate or white margate?

Black Margate: Good. White Margate: Good panfish.

Do black margate and white margate have the same limits?

Not everywhere. They differ in 4 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): black margate no rule of its own, white margate No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; Georgia: black margate no rule of its own, white margate No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; North Carolina: black margate no rule of its own, white margate No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; South Carolina: black margate no rule of its own, white margate No size limit, 20/day aggregate, max 10 of any one species.