Littlehead PorgyorScup
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
Littlehead Porgy
Small silver porgy with wavy blue lines over the cheeks and a steep little forehead.
Scup
Small northern porgy; dusky fins, concave forehead.
Scup, next to littlehead porgy: plainer, northern.
Side by side
| Littlehead Porgy | Scup | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Calamus proridens | Stenotomus chrysops |
| Also called | — | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 6 lb 4 oz · New York (1978) |
| On the table | Good panfish. | Good panfish — sweet, bony. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 12 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 13 of 13 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), littlehead porgy is No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day and scup is No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Littlehead Porgy: size · bag · season | Scup: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 11" (boat anglers); 9.5" (shore anglers, including Enhanced Sites)30 per angler; party/charter 40 during Sep 1-Oct 31May 1 - Dec 31OpenCT DEEP 2026 · checked |
| Delaware | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 9 in min30 per dayOpen year-roundOpenDE DNREC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 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 |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Georgia | 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 |
| Maryland | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 9 in min30Open year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked |
| Massachusetts | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 11" vessel / 9.5" shore30 fish (for-hire 40 May 1-Jun 30)May 1 - Dec 31OpenMA DMF 2026 · checked |
| New Jersey | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 10 in min30Jan 1 - Jun 30 and Sep 1 - Dec 31OpenNJ DEP 2026 · checked |
| New York | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 9.5 in shore / 11 in vessel30 (party/charter: 40 Sept 1-Oct 31)May 1 - Dec 31OpenNY DEC 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 9 in TL min (N of Cape Hatteras)30/day N of Cape Hatteras; S of Hatteras in 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked |
| Rhode Island | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 11" min (9.5" from shore)30/person/day (party/charter: 40 Sep 1-Oct 31)May 1 - Dec 31OpenRI DEM 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | Not 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 |
| Virginia | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 9 in min30 per personOpen year-roundOpenVMRC 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, littlehead porgy or scup, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell littlehead porgy from scup?
Littlehead Porgy: Small silver porgy with wavy blue lines over the cheeks and a steep little forehead. Scup: Small northern porgy; dusky fins, concave forehead. Scup, next to littlehead porgy: plainer, northern.
Which is better to eat, littlehead porgy or scup?
Littlehead Porgy: Good panfish. Scup: Good panfish — sweet, bony.
Do littlehead porgy and scup have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 13 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): littlehead porgy No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, scup No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; Connecticut: littlehead porgy no rule of its own, scup 11" (boat anglers); 9.5" (shore anglers, including Enhanced Sites), 30 per angler; party/charter 40 during Sep 1-Oct 31; Delaware: littlehead porgy no rule of its own, scup 9 in min, 30 per day; Florida (Gulf): littlehead porgy No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, scup no rule of its own; Georgia: littlehead porgy no rule of its own, scup No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; and more in the table on this page.