PuddingwifeorSlippery Dick
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
Puddingwife
Large blue-green wrasse with pale vertical bars, a yellow tail, and blue lines on the head.
Puddingwife, next to slippery dick: larger, blue-green with a yellow tail.
Slippery Dick
Small cigar-shaped wrasse with two dark stripes and a dark spot at the pectoral base; colors shift green to purple.
Slippery dick, next to puddingwife: small, striped.
Side by side
| Puddingwife | Slippery Dick | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Halichoeres radiatus | Halichoeres bivittatus |
| Also called | — | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | — |
| On the table | Edible, rarely kept. | Not a food fish — bait stealer. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 2 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.
| State | Puddingwife: size · bag · season | Slippery Dick: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateYear-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateYear-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateYear-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateYear-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, puddingwife or slippery dick, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell puddingwife from slippery dick?
Puddingwife: Large blue-green wrasse with pale vertical bars, a yellow tail, and blue lines on the head. Slippery Dick: Small cigar-shaped wrasse with two dark stripes and a dark spot at the pectoral base; colors shift green to purple. Slippery dick, next to puddingwife: small, striped. Puddingwife, next to slippery dick: larger, blue-green with a yellow tail.
Which is better to eat, puddingwife or slippery dick?
Puddingwife: Edible, rarely kept. Slippery Dick: Not a food fish — bait stealer.
Do puddingwife and slippery dick 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.