Mahogany SnapperorLane Snapper
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
Mahogany Snapper
Reddish sheen, oversized eye, red-edged tail, and a dark blotch touching the lateral line under the rear dorsal.
Lane Snapper
Pink with yellow horizontal stripes and a diffuse dark spot below the rear dorsal.
Lane snapper, next to mahogany snapper: pink-and-yellow striped, blotch sits mostly above the line.
Side by side
| Mahogany Snapper | Lane Snapper | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Lutjanus mahogoni | Lutjanus synagris |
| Also called | Ojanco | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 12.08 lb · Louisiana (2009) |
| On the table | Good. | Very good. |
| Rules of its own in | 6 states | 10 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 9 of 10 states with a rule for either. In Alabama, mahogany snapper is No size limit, 20-fish reef fish aggregate and lane snapper is 10 in total length minimum, 20-fish reef fish aggregate. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Mahogany Snapper: size · bag · season | Lane Snapper: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No size limit20-fish reef fish aggregateOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · likely · checked | 10 in total length minimum20-fish reef fish aggregateOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | 12 in TL min10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | 8 in TL min10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | 12 in TL min10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | 10 in TL min20 per person (not in snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 8 in total length10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | No size limit10 per person in snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenLDWF 2026 · likely · checked | 8 in total length20 per person in reef fish aggregateOpen year-roundOpenLDWF 2026 · checked |
| Maryland | No size limit20 aggregate; max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked | No size limit20 aggregate; max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked |
| Mississippi | 12 in total length minimum10 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked | 8 in total length minimum20 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 8 in total length10 per person per day within 10-snapper 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. | 8 in total length10/day snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 8 in total lengthNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenTPWD 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, mahogany snapper or lane snapper, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell mahogany snapper from lane snapper?
Mahogany Snapper: Reddish sheen, oversized eye, red-edged tail, and a dark blotch touching the lateral line under the rear dorsal. Lane Snapper: Pink with yellow horizontal stripes and a diffuse dark spot below the rear dorsal. Lane snapper, next to mahogany snapper: pink-and-yellow striped, blotch sits mostly above the line.
Which is better to eat, mahogany snapper or lane snapper?
Mahogany Snapper: Good. Lane Snapper: Very good.
Do mahogany snapper and lane snapper have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 9 state rulebooks. Alabama: mahogany snapper No size limit, 20-fish reef fish aggregate, lane snapper 10 in total length minimum, 20-fish reef fish aggregate; Florida (Atlantic): mahogany snapper 12 in TL min, 10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate), lane snapper 8 in TL min, 10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate); Florida (Gulf): mahogany snapper 12 in TL min, 10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate), lane snapper 10 in TL min, 20 per person (not in snapper aggregate); Louisiana: mahogany snapper No size limit, 10 per person in snapper aggregate, lane snapper 8 in total length, 20 per person in reef fish aggregate; Mississippi: mahogany snapper 12 in total length minimum, 10 per person per day, lane snapper 8 in total length minimum, 20 per person per day; and more in the table on this page.