Sea Raven
Hemitripterus americanus
How to tell it
Shaggy sculpin with ragged, fringed fins and prickly skin, yellow to brick red; inflates its belly when boated.
Often mistaken for
Two fish that get called sea raven, and what gives each one away.
- Longhorn sculpin: Clean-edged fins, long cheek spines. Tell them apart
- Shorthorn sculpin: Clean fins, stockier. Tell them apart
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), 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).
State records
| State | Weight | When, where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 6 lb 4 oz | 2024 · Gulf of Maine, Hampton | NH Fish & Game Verified Record Saltwater Fish · checked 2026-08-23 |
On the table
Not eaten — release.
In the app
Point the camera at a sea raven 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 sea raven
How do you tell sea raven from longhorn sculpin?
Sea Raven: Shaggy sculpin with ragged, fringed fins and prickly skin, yellow to brick red; inflates its belly when boated. Longhorn sculpin: clean-edged fins, long cheek spines.
What is the record sea raven?
6 lb 4 oz in New Hampshire (2024), Gulf of Maine, Hampton. Other states’ records are in the table.