Blue tangin Florida (Gulf)
Acanthurus coeruleus
Also called Blue surgeonfish.
The rule in Florida (Gulf)
Florida (Gulf)’s own rule for blue tang in state waters, out to 9 nautical miles.
Marine Life rule: hand-held nets, drop nets, barrier nets, and slurp guns only; 2-day possession limit of 40 (10 per species).
Measured as fork length (FL): snout to the fork of the tail.
FWC 2026· checked · likelyOpen
Often mistaken for, and their Florida (Gulf) rules
Keep the wrong fish and the rule that applies is the other one’s.
| Fish | Size | Bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue tangThis page. | 9" FL max (tangs and surgeonfish) | 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate | Year-round |
| Ocean surgeonfishGray-blue, blue-edged tail.Tell them apart | 9" FL max (tangs and surgeonfish) | 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate | Year-round |
| DoctorfishFaint vertical bars.Tell them apart | 9" FL max (tangs and surgeonfish) | 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate | Year-round |
How to tell it
Oval, deep blue to purple with a yellow tail spine; juveniles bright yellow. More on the blue tang page: every state’s rule, the records, and how anglers catch it.
Blue tang in other states
In the app
Point the camera at a blue tang in Florida (Gulf) and this rule is on the screen before you take the picture. No signal needed.
Get the appBlue tang in Florida (Gulf): the questions
What is the size limit for blue tang in Florida (Gulf)?
9" FL max (tangs and surgeonfish). Measured as fork length: snout to the fork of the tail.
How many blue tang can you keep in Florida (Gulf)?
5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate.
When is blue tang season in Florida (Gulf)?
Year-round.
How current is this Florida (Gulf) blue tang rule?
Source: FWC 2026, last checked Sep 20, 2026. A watchman re-reads the agency's pages nightly. Rules change mid-season by proclamation; the official rulebook is the final word.