Planehead FilefishorGray Triggerfish
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
Planehead Filefish
Palm-sized mottled filefish with a single trigger spine above the eye and sandpaper skin.
Gray Triggerfish
Leathery gray diamond body, trigger-locking first dorsal spine, tiny chisel teeth.
Gray triggerfish, next to planehead filefish: true trigger — bigger, with a three-spine dorsal lock.
Side by side
| Planehead Filefish | Gray Triggerfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Stephanolepis hispida | Balistes capriscus |
| Also called | Foolfish | Trigger |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 13 lb 9 oz · South Carolina (1989) |
| On the table | Edible but tiny — mostly a bait-stealer. | Excellent — tough hide, worth the effort. |
| Rules of its own in | 3 states | 9 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 9 of 9 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), planehead filefish is No size limit, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate and gray triggerfish is 12 in fork length min, 10 per person. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Planehead Filefish: size · bag · season | Gray Triggerfish: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 15 in fork length minimum1 per personState waters follow federal Gulf season; closed annually Jan-Feb and Jun-JulOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 12 in fork length min10 per personOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 15 in fork length min1 per personOpen Mar 1-May 31 and Aug 1-Dec 31OpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12 in fork length10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 15 in fork length1 per person within reef fish aggregateOpen Mar. 1–May 31 and Aug. 1–Dec. 31; closed Jan. 1–Feb. 28 and June 1–July 31OpenLDWF 2026 · checked |
| Mississippi | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 15 in fork length minimum1 per personOpen Aug 1 – Dec 31, 2026OpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked | 12 in fork length10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12 in fork length20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate (max 10 of any one species)Open year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 16 in total length20Open year-roundOpenTPWD 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, planehead filefish or gray triggerfish, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell planehead filefish from gray triggerfish?
Planehead Filefish: Palm-sized mottled filefish with a single trigger spine above the eye and sandpaper skin. Gray Triggerfish: Leathery gray diamond body, trigger-locking first dorsal spine, tiny chisel teeth. Gray triggerfish, next to planehead filefish: true trigger — bigger, with a three-spine dorsal lock.
Which is better to eat, planehead filefish or gray triggerfish?
Planehead Filefish: Edible but tiny — mostly a bait-stealer. Gray Triggerfish: Excellent — tough hide, worth the effort.
Do planehead filefish and gray triggerfish have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 9 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): planehead filefish No size limit, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate, gray triggerfish 12 in fork length min, 10 per person; Florida (Gulf): planehead filefish No size limit, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate, gray triggerfish 15 in fork length min, 1 per person; North Carolina: planehead filefish No size limit, No bag limit, gray triggerfish 12 in fork length, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; Alabama: planehead filefish no rule of its own, gray triggerfish 15 in fork length minimum, 1 per person; Georgia: planehead filefish no rule of its own, gray triggerfish 12 in fork length, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; and more in the table on this page.