Northern StargazerorOyster Toadfish
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
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
Camouflaged grumpy blob with a huge mouth; croaks.
Oyster toadfish, next to northern stargazer: mouth on the front of the face, not the top.
Side by side
| Northern Stargazer | Oyster Toadfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Astroscopus guttatus | Opsanus tau |
| Also called | — | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 4 lb 15 oz · North Carolina (1994) |
| On the table | Firm and white, but almost nobody keeps them. | Edible, looks argue otherwise. |
| Rules of its own in | 1 states | 3 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 4 of 4 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), oyster toadfish is No size limit, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate while northern stargazer has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Northern Stargazer: size · bag · season | Oyster Toadfish: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| New York | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 10"3Jul 16 - May 14OpenNY DEC 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 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, northern stargazer or oyster toadfish, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
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: Camouflaged grumpy blob with a huge mouth; croaks. Oyster toadfish, next to northern stargazer: mouth on the front of the face, not the top.
Which is better to eat, northern stargazer or oyster toadfish?
Northern Stargazer: Firm and white, but almost nobody keeps them. Oyster Toadfish: Edible, looks argue otherwise.
Do northern stargazer and oyster toadfish have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 4 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): northern stargazer no rule of its own, oyster toadfish No size limit, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate; Florida (Gulf): northern stargazer no rule of its own, oyster toadfish No size limit, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate; New York: northern stargazer no rule of its own, oyster toadfish 10", 3; North Carolina: northern stargazer No size limit, No bag limit, oyster toadfish no rule of its own.