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Species · Lookalikes

Orange FilefishorScrawled Filefish

Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.

Studio photograph of an Orange Filefish (Aluterus schoepfii), side view, on a white background
Orange FilefishAluterus schoepfii
Studio photograph of a Scrawled Filefish (Aluterus scriptus), side view, on a white background
Scrawled FilefishAluterus scriptus

Rules for both fish from 2 state rulebooks, checked Oct 29, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

How to tell them apart

Orange Filefish

Big pale filefish dusted with tiny orange freckles; tiny upturned mouth and a broom of a tail.

Orange filefish, next to scrawled filefish: orange freckles instead of scribbles.

Scrawled Filefish

Long pale filefish scribbled all over in blue lines and black dots, trailing a broom tail.

Scrawled filefish, next to orange filefish: blue scribbles and black dots.

Side by side

Orange FilefishScrawled Filefish
Scientific nameAluterus schoepfiiAluterus scriptus
Also called——
WatersNearshoreNearshore
Heaviest state record—4.66 lb · Texas (2010)
On the tableEdible — skin it, the hide is leather.Edible; thin fillets.
Rules of its own in2 states2 states

Rules for

Every state, both fish

Where either fish has a rule, the two are regulated the same. The name still goes in the log and on the tally.

StateOrange Filefish: size · bag · seasonScrawled Filefish: size · bag · season
Florida (Atlantic)No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked
Florida (Gulf)No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked

In the app

Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, orange filefish or scrawled filefish, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.

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Questions anglers ask

How do you tell orange filefish from scrawled filefish?

Orange Filefish: Big pale filefish dusted with tiny orange freckles; tiny upturned mouth and a broom of a tail. Scrawled Filefish: Long pale filefish scribbled all over in blue lines and black dots, trailing a broom tail. Scrawled filefish, next to orange filefish: blue scribbles and black dots. Orange filefish, next to scrawled filefish: orange freckles instead of scribbles.

Which is better to eat, orange filefish or scrawled filefish?

Orange Filefish: Edible — skin it, the hide is leather. Scrawled Filefish: Edible; thin fillets.

Do orange filefish and scrawled filefish have the same limits?

Yes, in every state that regulates either one. The table on this page lists each rule with its source and check date.