Northern Stargazer
Astroscopus guttatus
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.
- Not a oyster toadfish? That one mouth on the front of the face, not the top. (Oyster Toadfish)
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | No size limit | No bag limit | Open year-roundNC DMF 2026 · checked | Open |
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 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.
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.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about northern stargazer
How do you tell northern stargazer from oyster toadfish?
Northern Stargazer has this: 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.