BonefishorLadyfish
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
Bonefish
Chrome flats torpedo with an underslung mouth beneath a conical snout; tail flashes like foil.
Ladyfish
Chrome slender leaper, big eye, forked tail.
Ladyfish, next to bonefish: mouth at the tip, jumps when hooked.
Side by side
| Bonefish | Ladyfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Albula vulpes | Elops saurus |
| Also called | Gray ghost | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 16.19 lb · Florida (2007) | 8.25 lb · Florida (2018) |
| On the table | Never kept — Florida is release-only. | Poor — bony and mushy; a bait and a battle. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 0 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), bonefish is Catch-and-release only, No harvest while ladyfish has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Bonefish: size · bag · season | Ladyfish: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | Catch-and-release onlyNo harvestCatch-and-release year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Florida (Gulf) | Catch-and-release onlyNo harvestCatch-and-release year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, bonefish or ladyfish, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell bonefish from ladyfish?
Bonefish: Chrome flats torpedo with an underslung mouth beneath a conical snout; tail flashes like foil. Ladyfish: Chrome slender leaper, big eye, forked tail. Ladyfish, next to bonefish: mouth at the tip, jumps when hooked.
Which gets bigger, bonefish or ladyfish?
Bonefish. The heaviest state record we hold is 16.19 lb in Florida; the heaviest ladyfish record is 8.25 lb in Florida.
Which is better to eat, bonefish or ladyfish?
Bonefish: Never kept — Florida is release-only. Ladyfish: Poor — bony and mushy; a bait and a battle.
Do bonefish and ladyfish have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 2 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): bonefish Catch-and-release only, No harvest, ladyfish no rule of its own; Florida (Gulf): bonefish Catch-and-release only, No harvest, ladyfish no rule of its own.