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Species · Nearshore

Purplemouth Moray

Gymnothorax vicinus

Rules in 2 state rulebooks, checked Sep 16, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

How to tell it

Mottled brown-gray moray with a purple lining inside the mouth; a dark spot at the gill opening.

Rules for

Every state

StateSizeBagSeasonToday
Florida (Atlantic)No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateYear-roundFWC 2026 · likely · checked Open
Florida (Gulf)No size limit5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregateYear-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.

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Questions 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 has this: Mottled brown-gray moray with a purple lining inside the mouth; a dark spot at the gill opening.. Spotted Moray bold spotting.