Tiger GrouperorYellowfin 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.
Yellowfin Grouper
Rectangular dark blotches plus bright yellow outer pectoral third.
Yellowfin grouper, next to tiger grouper: yellow outer pectoral third.
Side by side
| Tiger Grouper | Yellowfin Grouper | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Mycteroperca tigris | Mycteroperca venenosa |
| Also called | — | Fireback, Princess rockfish |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | 19.5 lb · Texas (2022) | 47 lb · Texas (2021) |
| On the table | Good; ciguatera caution on big Keys fish. | Excellent. Ciguatera risk — the species is a known carrier (the scientific name means 'venomous'); large fish from reef areas carry the most 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 yellowfin grouper is 20 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 | Yellowfin Grouper: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No size limit4 per person within 4-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · likely · checked | 20 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 | 20 in TL minUp to 3 within 3-grouper aggregateOpen May 1-Dec 31OpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limitWithin grouper aggregate (3 Atlantic / 4 Gulf)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | 20 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. | 20 in total length3 per person per day within 3-grouper aggregateMay 1 – Dec 31 (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. | 20 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. | 20 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. | 20 in total length3 per person per day within 3-grouper aggregateMay 1 – Dec 31 (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. | No size limitWithin 3-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 20 in total lengthWithin 4-grouper aggregate (4 groupers combined per person per day)Open year-round, except closed Feb 1 - Mar 31 seaward of the 20-fathom contour (shallow-water grouper closure)OpenFederal rule (Gulf federal waters)NOAA SERO 2026 / Gulf Council 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 yellowfin 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 yellowfin grouper?
Tiger Grouper: Slim reef grouper with oblique tiger bars sweeping down and back along the body. Yellowfin Grouper: Rectangular dark blotches plus bright yellow outer pectoral third. Yellowfin grouper, next to tiger grouper: yellow outer pectoral third.
Which gets bigger, tiger grouper or yellowfin grouper?
Yellowfin Grouper. The heaviest state record we hold is 47 lb in Texas; the heaviest tiger grouper record is 19.5 lb in Texas.
Which is better to eat, tiger grouper or yellowfin grouper?
Tiger Grouper: Good; ciguatera caution on big Keys fish. Yellowfin Grouper: Excellent. Ciguatera risk — the species is a known carrier (the scientific name means 'venomous'); large fish from reef areas carry the most risk.
Do tiger grouper and yellowfin 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, yellowfin grouper 20 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), yellowfin grouper 20 in TL min, Up to 3 within 3-grouper aggregate; Florida (Gulf): tiger grouper No size limit, Within grouper aggregate (3 Atlantic / 4 Gulf), yellowfin grouper 20 in TL min, Up to 4 within 4-grouper aggregate; Georgia: tiger grouper no rule of its own, yellowfin grouper 20 in total length, 3 per person per day within 3-grouper aggregate; Louisiana: tiger grouper no rule of its own, yellowfin grouper 20 in total length, 4 per person in grouper aggregate; and more in the table on this page.