M A R I N E L I F E
Marine life regulations
Requirements for marine life
(aquarium species) harvest:
ʄ Recreational saltwater fishing license
ʄ Organisms must be landed and kept alive
ʄ A continuously circulating live well, aeration
or oxygenation system of adequate size to
maintain these organisms in a healthy
condition
ʄ Allowable Gear: hand-held net, drop net,
rod, barrier net, slurp gun (use of quinaldine
is prohibited)*
ʄ Bag Limit: 20 organisms per person per day;
only 5 of any one species allowed within the
20-organism bag limit
ʄ Possession Limit: 2-day possession limit,
40 total organisms, no more than 10 of any
one species allowed
ʄ Allowable substrate: see species specifications in table
ʄ Closed areas: Some closed areas exist**
ʄ Sale of recreationally caught marine life
organisms is prohibited
ʄ Regulations also apply in federal waters
* Some organisms have additional gear limitations, see chart.
** Various closed areas exist. See regulations
for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Everglades National Park, Biscayne
National Park and Florida’s State Parks
before collecting in these areas.
Additional rules apply to the collection of
shells containing live organisms in Lee or
Manatee counties.
Marine Life — Fish
SPECIES
REMARKS
1
SIZE LIMITS
(total length unless otherwise noted)
Angelfish
No more than 5 per person per day in
any combination
Gray, French Angelfish: 1½–8" slot limit
Blue, Queen Angelfish: 1¾–8" slot limit
Rock Beauty: 2–5" slot limit
Butterflyfish
1–4" slot limit
Filefish/Triggerfish
Except Unicorn Filefish,
Gray Triggerfish and Ocean Triggerfish
Gobies
Maximum size limit: 2"
Hamlets/Seabasses
Except reef fish
2 and Longtail Bass
Jawfish
Maximum size limit: 4"
Parrotfish
Maximum size limit: 12"
Porkfish
Minimum size limit: 1½"
Pufferfish,
Burrfish,
Balloonfish,
Porcupinefish
Includes Sharpnose Pufferfish, Striped
Burrfish, Spotted Burrfish, Balloonfish,
Porcupinefish
Tangs and Surgeonfish
Maximum size limit (fork length): 9"
Wrasse/Hogfish/Razorfish Except Hogfish Snapper
Spanish Hogfish: 2–8" slot limit
Cuban Hogfish: 3–8" slot limit
Other Marine Life fish include
1
: Basslets, Batfish, Blackbar Soldierfish, Blennies, Brotulas (Black and Key),
Cardinalfish, Clingfish, Cornetfish, Damselfish, Eels (Moray and Snake), Frogfish, Hawkfish, High-hat/Jackknifefish/Spotted Drum/Cubbyu, Pipefish, Reef Croakers, Seahorses, Sleepers, Yellow Stingray, Sweepers, Toadfish,
Trumpetfish and Trunkfish/Cowfish.
Marine Life — Invertebrates
SPECIES
REMARKS
1
Anemones
Corallimorphs and Zoanthids: No more than 5 polyps of each may be landed per
person per day, must be harvested with a flexible blade no wider than 2". Corallimorphs must be harvested as single polyps only. Zero bag limit on Giant Anemone
(Condylactis gigantea).
Conch, Queen
Harvest prohibited
Corals: Hard ,stony, fire
& black
Harvest prohibited
Octocorals
No more than 6 octocoral colonies per person per day in any combination; harvest
of attached substrate within 1" of base is permitted; harvest closes when quota met.
Crab, Hermit
Except Land Hermit Crabs
Crab, Horseshoe
Harvest prohibited
Live Rock
Harvest prohibited
Octopods
3
Except Common Octopus
Sea Fans
Harvest of Venus Sea Fan and Common (Purple) Sea Fan prohibited
Siphonophores/Hydroids Harvest of Fire Coral prohibited
Sponges
Except Sheepswool, Yellow, Grass, Glove, Finger, Wire, Reef and Velvet Sponges; no
more than 5 sponges per harvester per day in any combination; harvest of substrate
within 1" of base permitted north and west of the southernmost point of Egmont
Key, no substrate allowed south of Egmont Key
Starfish
3
Harvest of Bahama Starfish (Cushion Sea Star) prohibited
Urchins
3
Except Sand Dollars & Sea Biscuits; harvest of Longspine Urchin prohibited
Other Marine Life invertebrates include
1
: Brittlestars
3
, Decorator (Furcate Spider) Crab, False Arrow Crab, Green
Clinging (Emerald) Crab, Nimble Spray (Urchin) Crab, Red Mithrax Crab, Red-Ridged Clinging Crab, Spotted Porcelain Crab, Yellowline Arrow Crab, Fileclams
3
, Upside-down Jellyfish, Nudibranchs/Sea Slugs
3
, Sea Cucumbers
3
,
Sea Lilies, Cleaner/Peppermint Shrimp, Coral Shrimp, Snapping Shrimp, Nassarius Snails
3
, Starsnails
3
, Featherduster Worms and Calcareous Tube Worms.
Marine Life — Plants
SPECIES
LIMITS
Algae, Coralline Red
One gallon of tropical ornamental marine plants per day in any
combination; 2 gallon maximum possession limit
Caulerpa
Halimeda/Mermaid's Fan/
Mermaid's Shaving Brush
1– Unless otherwise noted, combined bag limit of 20 marine life fish and invertebrates per person per day,
only 5 of any one species allowed. A 2-day possession limit also applies (40 total organisms, only 10 of any
one species).
2– Such as groupers, snappers, seabass and amberjacks. Must abide by regulations for these species on
pages 9–10.
3– Bag limit of 2 live shells of any single species per harvester per day in Manatee County. Harvest prohibited
in Lee County.
tampasouthrvresort.com
2900 S US Hwy 41
Ruskin, FL 33570
813-645-1202
On the Little Manatee River
WANT TO MOTORIZE YOUR KAYAK?
631.440.6114
WWW.KAYAKTROLLINGMOTOR.COM
With “The Skimmer”
just sit back,
relax, and return
home safely!
17 or 24lb. thrust.
2-5 mph.
22 July 1, 2017
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
63
Marine life regulations
Requirements for marine life
(aquarium species) harvest:
ʄ Recreational saltwater fishing license
ʄ Organisms must be landed and kept alive
ʄ A continuously circulating live well, aeration
or oxygenation system of adequate size to
maintain these organisms in a healthy
condition
ʄ Allowable Gear: hand-held net, drop net,
rod, barrier net, slurp gun (use of quinaldine
is prohibited)*
ʄ Bag Limit: 20 organisms per person per day;
only 5 of any one species allowed within the
20-organism bag limit
ʄ Possession Limit: 2-day possession limit,
40 total organisms, no more than 10 of any
one species allowed
ʄ Allowable substrate: see species specifications in table
ʄ Closed areas: Some closed areas exist**
ʄ Sale of recreationally caught marine life
organisms is prohibited
ʄ Regulations also apply in federal waters
* Some organisms have additional gear limitations, see chart.
** Various closed areas exist. See regulations
for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Everglades National Park, Biscayne
National Park and Florida’s State Parks
before collecting in these areas.
Additional rules apply to the collection of
shells containing live organisms in Lee or
Manatee counties.
Marine Life — Fish
SPECIES
REMARKS
1
SIZE LIMITS
(total length unless otherwise noted)
Angelfish
No more than 5 per person per day in
any combination
Gray, French Angelfish: 1½–8" slot limit
Blue, Queen Angelfish: 1¾–8" slot limit
Rock Beauty: 2–5" slot limit
Butterflyfish
1–4" slot limit
Filefish/Triggerfish
Except Unicorn Filefish,
Gray Triggerfish and Ocean Triggerfish
Gobies
Maximum size limit: 2"
Hamlets/Seabasses
Except reef fish
2 and Longtail Bass
Jawfish
Maximum size limit: 4"
Parrotfish
Maximum size limit: 12"
Porkfish
Minimum size limit: 1½"
Pufferfish,
Burrfish,
Balloonfish,
Porcupinefish
Includes Sharpnose Pufferfish, Striped
Burrfish, Spotted Burrfish, Balloonfish,
Porcupinefish
Tangs and Surgeonfish
Maximum size limit (fork length): 9"
Wrasse/Hogfish/Razorfish Except Hogfish Snapper
Spanish Hogfish: 2–8" slot limit
Cuban Hogfish: 3–8" slot limit
Other Marine Life fish include
1
: Basslets, Batfish, Blackbar Soldierfish, Blennies, Brotulas (Black and Key),
Cardinalfish, Clingfish, Cornetfish, Damselfish, Eels (Moray and Snake), Frogfish, Hawkfish, High-hat/Jackknifefish/Spotted Drum/Cubbyu, Pipefish, Reef Croakers, Seahorses, Sleepers, Yellow Stingray, Sweepers, Toadfish,
Trumpetfish and Trunkfish/Cowfish.
Marine Life — Invertebrates
SPECIES
REMARKS
1
Anemones
Corallimorphs and Zoanthids: No more than 5 polyps of each may be landed per
person per day, must be harvested with a flexible blade no wider than 2". Corallimorphs must be harvested as single polyps only. Zero bag limit on Giant Anemone
(Condylactis gigantea).
Conch, Queen
Harvest prohibited
Corals: Hard ,stony, fire
& black
Harvest prohibited
Octocorals
No more than 6 octocoral colonies per person per day in any combination; harvest
of attached substrate within 1" of base is permitted; harvest closes when quota met.
Crab, Hermit
Except Land Hermit Crabs
Crab, Horseshoe
Harvest prohibited
Live Rock
Harvest prohibited
Octopods
3
Except Common Octopus
Sea Fans
Harvest of Venus Sea Fan and Common (Purple) Sea Fan prohibited
Siphonophores/Hydroids Harvest of Fire Coral prohibited
Sponges
Except Sheepswool, Yellow, Grass, Glove, Finger, Wire, Reef and Velvet Sponges; no
more than 5 sponges per harvester per day in any combination; harvest of substrate
within 1" of base permitted north and west of the southernmost point of Egmont
Key, no substrate allowed south of Egmont Key
Starfish
3
Harvest of Bahama Starfish (Cushion Sea Star) prohibited
Urchins
3
Except Sand Dollars & Sea Biscuits; harvest of Longspine Urchin prohibited
Other Marine Life invertebrates include
1
: Brittlestars
3
, Decorator (Furcate Spider) Crab, False Arrow Crab, Green
Clinging (Emerald) Crab, Nimble Spray (Urchin) Crab, Red Mithrax Crab, Red-Ridged Clinging Crab, Spotted Porcelain Crab, Yellowline Arrow Crab, Fileclams
3
, Upside-down Jellyfish, Nudibranchs/Sea Slugs
3
, Sea Cucumbers
3
,
Sea Lilies, Cleaner/Peppermint Shrimp, Coral Shrimp, Snapping Shrimp, Nassarius Snails
3
, Starsnails
3
, Featherduster Worms and Calcareous Tube Worms.
Marine Life — Plants
SPECIES
LIMITS
Algae, Coralline Red
One gallon of tropical ornamental marine plants per day in any
combination; 2 gallon maximum possession limit
Caulerpa
Halimeda/Mermaid's Fan/
Mermaid's Shaving Brush
1– Unless otherwise noted, combined bag limit of 20 marine life fish and invertebrates per person per day,
only 5 of any one species allowed. A 2-day possession limit also applies (40 total organisms, only 10 of any
one species).
2– Such as groupers, snappers, seabass and amberjacks. Must abide by regulations for these species on
pages 9–10.
3– Bag limit of 2 live shells of any single species per harvester per day in Manatee County. Harvest prohibited
in Lee County.
tampasouthrvresort.com
2900 S US Hwy 41
Ruskin, FL 33570
813-645-1202
On the Little Manatee River
WANT TO MOTORIZE YOUR KAYAK?
631.440.6114
WWW.KAYAKTROLLINGMOTOR.COM
With “The Skimmer”
just sit back,
relax, and return
home safely!
17 or 24lb. thrust.
2-5 mph.
22 July 1, 2017
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
63