PorkfishorBlack Margate
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
Porkfish
Two bold black bars — one through the eye, one behind the head — over gold-and-blue stripes.
Black Margate
Chunky pale grunt with a black smudge behind the pectoral and jet-black fins; sheepshead-deep body.
Black margate, next to porkfish: no bars; black smudge and jet fins.
Side by side
| Porkfish | Black Margate | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Anisotremus virginicus | Anisotremus surinamensis |
| Also called | — | Pompon |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 12.8 lb · Texas (2000) |
| On the table | Good panfish. | Good. |
| 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), porkfish is 1.5 in min, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate and black margate is No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Porkfish: size · bag · season | Black Margate: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | 1.5 in min5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | 1.5 in min5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, porkfish or black margate, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell porkfish from black margate?
Porkfish: Two bold black bars — one through the eye, one behind the head — over gold-and-blue stripes. Black Margate: Chunky pale grunt with a black smudge behind the pectoral and jet-black fins; sheepshead-deep body. Black margate, next to porkfish: no bars; black smudge and jet fins.
Which is better to eat, porkfish or black margate?
Porkfish: Good panfish. Black Margate: Good.
Do porkfish and black margate have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 2 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): porkfish 1.5 in min, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate, black margate No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day; Florida (Gulf): porkfish 1.5 in min, 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate, black margate No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day.