Tiger GrouperorBlack Grouper
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
Tiger Grouper
Slim reef grouper with oblique tiger bars sweeping down and back along the body.
Black Grouper
Rectangular dark blotches over brassy-bronze spots; gently rounded preopercle (no gag notch).
Black grouper, next to tiger grouper: rectangular blotches, brassy spots.
Side by side
| Tiger Grouper | Black Grouper | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Mycteroperca tigris | Mycteroperca bonaci |
| Also called | — | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | 19.5 lb · Texas (2022) | 124 lb · Texas (2003) |
| On the table | Good; ciguatera caution on big Keys fish. | Excellent; large reef fish carry some ciguatera risk. |
| Rules of its own in | 5 states | 11 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 9 of 11 states with a rule for either. In Alabama, tiger grouper is No size limit, 4 per person within 4-grouper aggregate and black grouper is 24 in total length minimum, 4 per person within 4-grouper aggregate. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Tiger Grouper: size · bag · season | Black Grouper: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No size limit4 per person within 4-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · likely · checked | 24 in total length minimum4 per person within 4-grouper aggregateOpen year-round; state waters follow federal openings/closuresOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limitWithin grouper aggregate (3 Atlantic / 4 Gulf)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 24 in TL min1 gag or black combined within 3-grouper aggregate; 2 per vesselOpen May 1-Dec 31OpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limitWithin grouper aggregate (3 Atlantic / 4 Gulf)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 24 in TL minUp to 4 within 4-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 24 in total length1 per day (gag or black grouper combined; max 2 per vessel), within 3-grouper aggregateMay 1 – Dec 31 (shallow-water grouper spawning closure Jan 1 – Apr 30)OpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 24 in total length4 per person in grouper aggregateOpen year-round; closed Feb. 1–Mar. 31 seaward of the 20-fathom lineOpenLDWF 2026 · checked |
| Maryland | No size limit1 (all groupers combined)Open year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · likely · checked | No size limit1 (all groupers combined)Open year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · likely · checked |
| Mississippi | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 24 in total length minimum4 per person per day (grouper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 24 in total length1 per day (gag or black grouper combined; max 2 per vessel), within 3-grouper aggregateMay 1 – Dec 31 (shallow-water grouper spawning closure Jan 1 – Apr 30)OpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 24 in total length1/day gag or black grouper (not both), within 3-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 24 in total length4Open year-roundOpenTPWD 2026 · checked |
| Virginia | No size limit1 grouper per person (all grouper species combined)Open year-roundOpenVMRC 2026 · likely · checked | No size limit1 grouper per person (all grouper species combined)Open year-roundOpenVMRC 2026 · likely · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, tiger grouper or black grouper, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell tiger grouper from black grouper?
Tiger Grouper: Slim reef grouper with oblique tiger bars sweeping down and back along the body. Black Grouper: Rectangular dark blotches over brassy-bronze spots; gently rounded preopercle (no gag notch). Black grouper, next to tiger grouper: rectangular blotches, brassy spots.
Which gets bigger, tiger grouper or black grouper?
Black Grouper. The heaviest state record we hold is 124 lb in Texas; the heaviest tiger grouper record is 19.5 lb in Texas.
Which is better to eat, tiger grouper or black grouper?
Tiger Grouper: Good; ciguatera caution on big Keys fish. Black Grouper: Excellent; large reef fish carry some ciguatera risk.
Do tiger grouper and black grouper have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 9 state rulebooks. Alabama: tiger grouper No size limit, 4 per person within 4-grouper aggregate, black grouper 24 in total length minimum, 4 per person within 4-grouper aggregate; Florida (Atlantic): tiger grouper No size limit, Within grouper aggregate (3 Atlantic / 4 Gulf), black grouper 24 in TL min, 1 gag or black combined within 3-grouper aggregate; 2 per vessel; Florida (Gulf): tiger grouper No size limit, Within grouper aggregate (3 Atlantic / 4 Gulf), black grouper 24 in TL min, Up to 4 within 4-grouper aggregate; Georgia: tiger grouper no rule of its own, black grouper 24 in total length, 1 per day (gag or black grouper combined; max 2 per vessel), within 3-grouper aggregate; Louisiana: tiger grouper no rule of its own, black grouper 24 in total length, 4 per person in grouper aggregate; and more in the table on this page.