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Species · Inshore

Northern Stargazer

Astroscopus guttatus

Rules in 0 state rulebooks, checked Sep 22, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

Studio photograph of a Northern Stargazer (Astroscopus guttatus), side view, on a white background

How to tell it

Buried head-up in the sand: eyes and a fringed mouth on TOP of a blunt head, white-spotted black body — and an electric organ behind the eyes, so use pliers.

Often mistaken for

One fish that gets called northern stargazer, and what gives it away.

Rules for

Every state

StateSizeBagSeasonToday

Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).

On the table

Firm and white, but almost nobody keeps them.

Related fish

Same genus (Astroscopus): Southern Stargazer.

Side by side: Northern Stargazer vs Oyster Toadfish.

In the app

Point the camera at a northern stargazer and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.

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Questions anglers ask about northern stargazer

How do you tell northern stargazer from oyster toadfish?

Northern Stargazer: Buried head-up in the sand: eyes and a fringed mouth on TOP of a blunt head, white-spotted black body — and an electric organ behind the eyes, so use pliers. Oyster toadfish: mouth on the front of the face, not the top.