Bluestriped GruntorPorkfish
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
Bluestriped Grunt
Yellow body covered nose-to-tail in electric-blue stripes; dusky tail and rear dorsal.
Porkfish
Two bold black bars — one through the eye, one behind the head — over gold-and-blue stripes.
Porkfish, next to bluestriped grunt: two black face bars.
Side by side
| Bluestriped Grunt | Porkfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Haemulon sciurus | Anisotremus virginicus |
| Also called | — | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | — |
| On the table | Fine panfish — the original grits-and-grunts fish. | Good panfish. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 2 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 2 of 2 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), bluestriped grunt is No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day and porkfish is 1.5 in min, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Bluestriped Grunt: size · bag · season | Porkfish: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 1.5 in min5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 1.5 in min5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, bluestriped grunt or porkfish, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell bluestriped grunt from porkfish?
Bluestriped Grunt: Yellow body covered nose-to-tail in electric-blue stripes; dusky tail and rear dorsal. Porkfish: Two bold black bars — one through the eye, one behind the head — over gold-and-blue stripes. Porkfish, next to bluestriped grunt: two black face bars.
Which is better to eat, bluestriped grunt or porkfish?
Bluestriped Grunt: Fine panfish — the original grits-and-grunts fish. Porkfish: Good panfish.
Do bluestriped grunt and porkfish have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 2 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): bluestriped grunt No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, porkfish 1.5 in min, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate; Florida (Gulf): bluestriped grunt No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, porkfish 1.5 in min, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate.