Purplemouth Moray
Gymnothorax vicinus
How to tell it
Mottled brown-gray moray with a purple lining inside the mouth; a dark spot at the gill opening.
Often mistaken for
Two fish that get called purplemouth moray, and what gives each one away.
- Spotted moray: Bold spotting. Tell them apart
- Green moray: Plain green. Tell them apart
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit | 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate | Year-roundFWC 2026 · likely · checked | Open |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit | 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate | Year-roundFWC 2026 · likely · checked | Open |
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
On the table
Not a food fish — ciguatera risk.
In the app
Point the camera at a purplemouth moray and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about purplemouth moray
How many purplemouth moray can you keep?
Florida (Atlantic): 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate; Florida (Gulf): 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate.
How do you tell purplemouth moray from spotted moray?
Purplemouth Moray: Mottled brown-gray moray with a purple lining inside the mouth; a dark spot at the gill opening. Spotted moray: bold spotting.