Southern SennetorGreat Barracuda
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
Southern Sennet
Small barracuda with a pale stripe and no black blotches; schools in the Gulf and south Florida.
Great Barracuda
Underslung jaw of visible teeth, scattered ink-black blotches on silver.
Great barracuda, next to southern sennet: much larger, scattered black blotches.
Side by side
| Southern Sennet | Great Barracuda | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Sphyraena picudilla | Sphyraena barracuda |
| Also called | Sennet | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 67 lb 7 oz · North Carolina (1985) |
| On the table | Edible, bony. | Small ones are eaten, but barracuda is a leading ciguatera carrier — most release them. |
| Rules of its own in | 0 states | 2 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 2 of 2 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), great barracuda is 15-36 in FL slot in Collier-Martin counties; no size limit elsewhere, 2 per person; 6 per vessel (regulated counties) while southern sennet has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Southern Sennet: size · bag · season | Great Barracuda: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 15-36 in FL slot in Collier-Martin counties; no size limit elsewhere2 per person; 6 per vessel (regulated counties)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 15-36 in FL slot in Collier-Martin counties; no size limit elsewhere2 per person; 6 per vessel (regulated counties)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, southern sennet or great barracuda, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell southern sennet from great barracuda?
Southern Sennet: Small barracuda with a pale stripe and no black blotches; schools in the Gulf and south Florida. Great Barracuda: Underslung jaw of visible teeth, scattered ink-black blotches on silver. Great barracuda, next to southern sennet: much larger, scattered black blotches.
Which is better to eat, southern sennet or great barracuda?
Southern Sennet: Edible, bony. Great Barracuda: Small ones are eaten, but barracuda is a leading ciguatera carrier — most release them.
Do southern sennet and great barracuda have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 2 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): southern sennet no rule of its own, great barracuda 15-36 in FL slot in Collier-Martin counties; no size limit elsewhere, 2 per person; 6 per vessel (regulated counties); Florida (Gulf): southern sennet no rule of its own, great barracuda 15-36 in FL slot in Collier-Martin counties; no size limit elsewhere, 2 per person; 6 per vessel (regulated counties).