PalometaorPermit
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
Palometa
Surf pompano with dramatically long black-edged dorsal and anal lobes and four faint side bars.
Permit
Pompano's big cousin: taller body, dark dorsal lobe, orange wash near the anal fin.
Permit, next to palometa: grows far larger; deeper body.
Side by side
| Palometa | Permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Trachinotus goodei | Trachinotus falcatus |
| Also called | Longfin pompano | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | 1.5 lb · Texas (2006) | 56.13 lb · Florida (1997) |
| On the table | Excellent — pompano-grade. | Good; ciguatera caution far south. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 2 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 2 of 2 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), palometa is No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day and permit is 11-22 in fork length slot (outside Special Permit Zone), 2 per person; 1 may be over 22 in (max 2 over 22 in per vessel). Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Palometa: size · bag · season | Permit: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | 11-22 in fork length slot (outside Special Permit Zone)2 per person; 1 may be over 22 in (max 2 over 22 in per vessel)Open year-round outside SPZOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | 11-22 in fork length slot (outside Special Permit Zone)2 per person; 1 may be over 22 in (max 2 over 22 in per vessel)Open year-round outside SPZOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, palometa or permit, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell palometa from permit?
Palometa: Surf pompano with dramatically long black-edged dorsal and anal lobes and four faint side bars. Permit: Pompano's big cousin: taller body, dark dorsal lobe, orange wash near the anal fin. Permit, next to palometa: grows far larger; deeper body.
Which gets bigger, palometa or permit?
Permit. The heaviest state record we hold is 56.13 lb in Florida; the heaviest palometa record is 1.5 lb in Texas.
Which is better to eat, palometa or permit?
Palometa: Excellent — pompano-grade. Permit: Good; ciguatera caution far south.
Do palometa and permit have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 2 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): palometa No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, permit 11-22 in fork length slot (outside Special Permit Zone), 2 per person; 1 may be over 22 in (max 2 over 22 in per vessel); Florida (Gulf): palometa No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, permit 11-22 in fork length slot (outside Special Permit Zone), 2 per person; 1 may be over 22 in (max 2 over 22 in per vessel).