Round ScadorSpanish Sardine
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
Round Scad
Slim cigar of a baitfish with a detached finlet behind both dorsal and anal fins and scutes near the tail.
Round scad, next to Spanish sardine: detached finlets and tail scutes.
Spanish Sardine
Slim, round-bodied silver sardine with a blue-green back and no spots or threads at all.
Spanish sardine, next to round scad: no finlets, no scutes.
Side by side
| Round Scad | Spanish Sardine | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Decapterus punctatus | Sardinella aurita |
| Also called | Cigar minnow | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | — |
| On the table | Premium bait; edible fried but few bother. | Bait; canned commercially. |
| Rules of its own in | 1 states | 2 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 3 of 3 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), Spanish sardine is No size limit, No bag limit for bait while round scad has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Round Scad: size · bag · season | Spanish Sardine: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limitNo bag limit for baitOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limitNo bag limit for baitOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| North Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, round scad or Spanish sardine, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell round scad from Spanish sardine?
Round Scad: Slim cigar of a baitfish with a detached finlet behind both dorsal and anal fins and scutes near the tail. Spanish Sardine: Slim, round-bodied silver sardine with a blue-green back and no spots or threads at all. Spanish sardine, next to round scad: no finlets, no scutes. Round scad, next to Spanish sardine: detached finlets and tail scutes.
Which is better to eat, round scad or Spanish sardine?
Round Scad: Premium bait; edible fried but few bother. Spanish Sardine: Bait; canned commercially.
Do round scad and Spanish sardine have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 3 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): round scad no rule of its own, Spanish sardine No size limit, No bag limit for bait; Florida (Gulf): round scad no rule of its own, Spanish sardine No size limit, No bag limit for bait; North Carolina: round scad No size limit, No bag limit, Spanish sardine no rule of its own.