Red SnapperorVermilion Snapper
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
Red Snapper
Uniform rose red, red eye, pointed anal fin; adults lack the dark side spot.
Red snapper, next to vermilion snapper: heavier head and jaw, angular anal fin.
Vermilion Snapper
Slender vermilion body, series of short diagonal blue lines on the back, deeply forked tail.
Vermilion snapper, next to red snapper: smaller, streamlined, forked tail, no heavy jaw.
Side by side
| Red Snapper | Vermilion Snapper | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Lutjanus campechanus | Rhomboplites aurorubens |
| Also called | Genuine red, American red | Beeliner, B-liner |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | 50.25 lb · Louisiana (1996) | 7 lb 4 oz · North Carolina (2025) |
| On the table | Excellent — but large individuals may carry elevated mercury. | Excellent — sweet, delicate. |
| Rules of its own in | 10 states | 10 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 9 of 10 states with a rule for either. In Alabama, red snapper is 16 in total length minimum, 2 per person and vermilion snapper is 10 in total length minimum, 10 per person. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Red Snapper: size · bag · season | Vermilion Snapper: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16 in total length minimum2 per person2026 AL season opened May 22, 7 days/week in state and federal waters until quota met or Dec 31OpenAL MRD 2026 · checked | 10 in total length minimum10 per personOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | 20 in TL min2 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate)State waters currently open; federal waters closedOpenFWC 2026 · checked | 12 in TL min5 per person (not in snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | 16 in TL min2 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate)2026: May 22 - Jul 31; Sep 1 - Oct 4; Oct-Nov weekends through Nov 22OpenFWC 2026 · checked | 10 in TL min10 per person (not in snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | 20 in total length2 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenGA DNR CRD 2026 · checked | 12 in total length5 per person per day (separate from 10-snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | 16 in total length4 per person2026 season opened May 1, closed Aug. 9 at quota; LDWF may briefly reopen before Labor DayClosedLDWF 2026 · checked | 10 in total length10 per person, within 20-reef-fish aggregateOpen year-roundOpenLDWF 2026 · checked |
| Maryland | No size limit20 aggregate; max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked | No size limit20 aggregate; max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked |
| Mississippi | 16 in total length minimum2 per personMay 22 – Jul 5, reopening Sep 4–7, 2026; weekends after if quota remainsClosedMS DMR 2026 · checked | 10 in total length minimum10 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backNC DMF 2026 · checked | 12 in total length5 per person per day (separate from 10-snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | 20 in total length2/dayOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked | 12 in total length5/dayOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | 15 in total length4Open year-round (Texas state waters)OpenTPWD 2026 · checked | 10 in total lengthNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenTPWD 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, red snapper or vermilion snapper, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell red snapper from vermilion snapper?
Red Snapper: Uniform rose red, red eye, pointed anal fin; adults lack the dark side spot. Vermilion Snapper: Slender vermilion body, series of short diagonal blue lines on the back, deeply forked tail. Vermilion snapper, next to red snapper: smaller, streamlined, forked tail, no heavy jaw. Red snapper, next to vermilion snapper: heavier head and jaw, angular anal fin.
Which gets bigger, red snapper or vermilion snapper?
Red Snapper. The heaviest state record we hold is 50.25 lb in Louisiana; the heaviest vermilion snapper record is 7 lb 4 oz in North Carolina.
Which is better to eat, red snapper or vermilion snapper?
Red Snapper: Excellent — but large individuals may carry elevated mercury. Vermilion Snapper: Excellent — sweet, delicate.
Do red snapper and vermilion snapper have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 9 state rulebooks. Alabama: red snapper 16 in total length minimum, 2 per person, vermilion snapper 10 in total length minimum, 10 per person; Florida (Atlantic): red snapper 20 in TL min, 2 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate), vermilion snapper 12 in TL min, 5 per person (not in snapper aggregate); Florida (Gulf): red snapper 16 in TL min, 2 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate), vermilion snapper 10 in TL min, 10 per person (not in snapper aggregate); Georgia: red snapper 20 in total length, 2 per person per day, vermilion snapper 12 in total length, 5 per person per day (separate from 10-snapper aggregate); Louisiana: red snapper 16 in total length, 4 per person, vermilion snapper 10 in total length, 10 per person, within 20-reef-fish aggregate; and more in the table on this page.