Florida Fish Identification Chart: 26 Species with Pictures
Florida touches the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic and the subtropical Keys, and adds a freshwater fishery that grows the biggest largemouth bass in the country. This Florida fish identification chart pairs a photo of each species you are most likely to catch or see, from the Panhandle to Key West, with the traits that separate it from its look-alikes. Use the coast-by-coast notes below to narrow the list, and the AI identifier when two rows still fit.
📷 Identify a Florida fish from a photoFlorida fish identification chart with pictures
Rows run inshore (redfish, seatrout, snook, tarpon, flats fish), then reef and wreck species (snapper, grouper, hogfish), then offshore pelagics (mackerel, mahi-mahi, sailfish, wahoo), and finish with the three freshwater species most anglers ask about. Sizes are typical adult ranges.
| Photo | Species | Size Range | Key ID Traits | Where Found |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Redfish (Red Drum) Sciaenops ocellatus | 40–120 cm | Copper-bronze; one or more black spots at the tail base; no chin barbels (black drum has them) | Flats, surf and passes; bull reds school in autumn |
 | Spotted Seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus | 35–80 cm | Silver-grey with round black spots on the back, dorsal and tail; two canine teeth in the upper jaw | Grass flats and bays |
 | Snook Centropomus undecimalis | 40–140 cm | Bold black lateral line; protruding lower jaw; silver-green | Mangroves, passes and beaches; south of Tampa/Cape Canaveral |
 | Tarpon Megalops atlanticus | 100–250 cm | Huge silver scales; upturned mouth; long trailing last dorsal ray | Passes, bridges and flats; May–July migration |
 | Bonefish Albula vulpes | 40–90 cm | Slender silver with faint bars; downward mouth; deeply forked tail | Keys and Biscayne Bay flats |
 | Permit Trachinotus falcatus | 45–110 cm | Deep body, sickle-shaped dorsal and anal lobes, black-edged tail | Keys flats and Gulf wrecks |
 | Florida Pompano Trachinotus carolinus | 25–60 cm | Silver with yellow belly and fins; short fin lobes; no scutes | Surf and beaches on both coasts |
 | Sheepshead Archosargus probatocephalus | 30–75 cm | 5–7 bold black vertical bars; human-like incisor teeth | Pilings, jetties and oyster bars |
 | Crevalle Jack Caranx hippos | 40–100 cm | Deep, blunt head; black spot on the gill cover and pectoral base; yellow tail; scutes on the tail wrist | Inshore and nearshore, in fast-moving schools |
 | Tripletail Lobotes surinamensis | 40–90 cm | Deep-bodied, mottled brown; rounded dorsal and anal lobes make it look three-tailed; floats on its side near buoys | Crab-trap buoys and weed lines |
 | Mangrove Snapper Lutjanus griseus | 25–60 cm | Grey-bronze; dark stripe through the eye in juveniles; two canine teeth; no black spot on the flank | Mangroves, docks and reefs |
 | Mutton Snapper Lutjanus analis | 40–80 cm | Olive-pink; small black spot below the rear dorsal; blue cheek lines; pointed anal fin | Keys reefs and flats |
 | Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus | 40–100 cm | Rose-red; pointed anal fin; red iris; no flank spot in adults | Hard bottom 20–100 m, mainly the Gulf side |
 | Gag Grouper Mycteroperca microlepis | 50–120 cm | Grey-brown with worm-like dark markings; squared tail with a dark edge; long, sloping head | Nearshore reefs, ledges and wrecks |
 | Grouper (Goliath) Epinephelus itajara | 100–250 cm | Huge, brown-olive with small dark spots; rounded fins; protected — release only | Wrecks, bridges and mangroves |
 | Hogfish Lachnolaimus maximus | 40–90 cm | Pig-like snout; three long dorsal filaments; pink-white with a dark tail-base spot | Keys and Gulf hard bottom |
 | Cobia Rachycentron canadum | 60–200 cm | Dark brown, flat head, white belly stripe; looks like a shark or remora from above | Follows rays and buoys nearshore; spring run |
 | King Mackerel Scomberomorus cavalla | 50–185 cm | Silver, no spots in adults; lateral line dips sharply mid-body | Nearshore in warm months |
 | Spanish Mackerel Scomberomorus maculatus | 40–90 cm | Golden spots; black patch on the first dorsal; gently sloping lateral line | Beaches and passes, spring and autumn |
 | Mahi-Mahi Coryphaena hippurus | 60–150 cm | Green-gold with blue spots; blunt forehead in males; fades fast on deck | Offshore weed lines |
 | Sailfish Istiophorus platypterus | 200–300 cm | Sail-like dorsal fin; spear bill; blue with bars of pale spots | Offshore, winter on the Atlantic side |
 | Wahoo Acanthocybium solandri | 100–210 cm | Elongated; blue-grey with faint vertical bars; knife-like teeth | Offshore and deep-water ledges |
 | Amberjack Seriola dumerili | 60–200 cm | Amber stripe from eye to tail; dark band through the eye; no scutes | Wrecks and reefs 20–100 m |
 | Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides | 25–75 cm | Dark green with a broken lateral stripe; upper jaw extends past the eye | Lakes and canals; Florida strain grows largest |
 | Peacock Bass Cichla ocellaris | 30–75 cm | Gold-green with three dark bars; black eye-spot on the tail | South Florida canals |
 | Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus | 15–35 cm | Silver with black speckles; deep, compressed body | Lakes; "speckled perch" locally |
Species photos are CC-licensed or public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons; see the full image credits for each file and its licence. Gulf-coast species in more detail: Gulf of Mexico fish identification. Keys reef fish: Caribbean fish identification.
Florida fish identification by coast
Pensacola to Naples. Cooler, less tropical water: red snapper, gag grouper, king and Spanish mackerel, cobia in spring, redfish and seatrout on the grass flats, sheepshead on every piling.
Jacksonville to Miami. Sailfish, mahi-mahi and wahoo off the Gulf Stream edge; snook and tarpon in the inlets; pompano and whiting in the surf.
The only living coral barrier reef in the continental US. Bonefish, permit and tarpon on the flats; hogfish, mutton and yellowtail snapper on the patch reefs; goliath grouper on the wrecks.
Lakes, canals and rivers: Florida-strain largemouth bass, peacock bass in the Miami canals, black crappie ("specks") in the big lakes, alligator gar in Panhandle rivers.
Florida fish identification: look-alike pairs
| Pair | Tell Them Apart |
|---|---|
| Redfish vs. black drum | Chin barbels on black drum only; redfish carry a tail-base spot |
| Snook vs. ladyfish | Snook has the bold black lateral line and jutting lower jaw; ladyfish is plain silver |
| Permit vs. pompano | Permit is deeper-bodied with long sickle fins and grows far larger; pompano has a yellow belly and short fin lobes |
| King vs. Spanish mackerel | Lateral line dips sharply on a king; Spanish has golden spots and a black patch on the first dorsal |
| Red vs. vermilion snapper | Red snapper has a large mouth, pointed anal fin and red eye; vermilion is slimmer with a small mouth |
| Gag vs. black grouper | Gag has worm-like grey markings and a dark-edged tail; black grouper has rectangular dark blotches and a bright edge on the pectoral fin |
Florida fish identification FAQ
What is the most common fish caught in Florida?
Inshore it is spotted seatrout and redfish on both coasts, with snook in the south. Offshore, red snapper and gag grouper dominate the Gulf side and mahi-mahi, sailfish and yellowtail snapper the Atlantic side.
How do I tell a redfish from a black drum?
Feel under the chin: black drum have a row of small barbels, redfish have none. Redfish are copper-bronze with one or more tail spots; black drum are grey-silver with bars in young fish.
Which Florida fish must be released?
Goliath grouper is fully protected, and snook, redfish, tarpon and permit have tight slot limits, seasons and regional closures. Check the FWC rules for your coast before keeping a fish — the identifier tells you the species, not the season.
What if my fish is not on this chart?
Upload a clear side-on photo to the AI fish identifier. It covers 866 species and returns the top matches with a confidence score.