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Species · Offshore

Short Bigeye

Pristigenys alta

Also called Short bigeye.

Rules in 0 state rulebooks, checked Sep 22, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

Studio photograph of a Short Bigeye (Pristigenys alta), side view, on a white background

How to tell it

Deep, bright red bigeye with rough scales and a rounded tail; deep reefs.

Often mistaken for

One fish that gets called short bigeye, and what gives it away.

Rules for

Every state

StateSizeBagSeasonToday

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).

On the table

Edible.

Related fish

Side by side: Short Bigeye vs Bigeye.

In the app

Point the camera at a short bigeye 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 short bigeye

How do you tell short bigeye from bigeye?

Short Bigeye: Deep, bright red bigeye with rough scales and a rounded tail; deep reefs. Bigeye: more elongate, softer scales.