Saucereye Porgy Regulations

Saucereye Porgy

Calamus calamus

Managed by:

SAFMC

Physical description:

Has a larger eye than the other porgies. Its color is silvery with bluish reflections; the scales golden, forming longitudinal stripes, with pearly-bluish interspaces; the cheeks and snout are purplish, with round brassy spots; the fins are pale, blotched with orange; the iris of the eye is golden.

Biological description:

Found in Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA and Bermuda to Brazil.

South Atlantic Federal Regulations

Commercial:

• OPEN
• Size Limit: None
• Trip Limit: None
• Regulatory Remarks:
  • All species must be landed with head and fins intact.
  • Recreational and commercial fishermen are required to use dehooking tools when fishing for snapper grouper species.
  • The use of non-stainless steel circle hooks (offset or non-offset) is required for all species in the snapper grouper complex when using hook-and-line gear with natural baits in waters North of 28 degrees N. latitude.
  • After the commercial quota is met, all purchase and sale is prohibited and harvest and/or possession is limited to the recreational bag limit. This prohibition does not apply to fish harvested, landed, and sold prior to the quota being reached and held in cold storage by a dealer. Quotas are given in gutted weights.
  • Charter/Headboat and Commercial snapper grouper vessels must have onboard NMFS approved sea turtle release gear and follow smalltooth sawfish release protocol. Click here to learn more or call 727-824-5312.
  • Annual Catch Limit (ACL) -This species is managed under an ACL. See current information on Commercial ACLs (quotas) from NOAA Fisheries.
• Additional Updates:

Recreational:

• OPEN
• Size Limit: none
• Bag Limit: included in 20 Aggregate Fish Bag Limit
• Regulatory Remarks:
  • Included in the 20 Fish Aggregate Bag Limit - There is an aggregate bag limit of 20 fish per person inclusive of all fish in the snapper grouper complex currently not under a bag limit. A fisherman may catch their bag limits and additionally retain up to 20 other fish for which there is no bag limit, including this species.
  • All species must be landed with head and fins intact.
  • Recreational and commercial fishermen are required to use dehooking tools when fishing for snapper grouper species.
  • The use of non-stainless steel circle hooks (offset or non-offset) is required for all species in the snapper grouper complex when using hook-and-line gear with natural baits in waters North of 28 degrees N. latitude.
  • The sale of bag-limit caught snapper grouper species is prohibited.
  • Charter/Headboat and Commercial snapper grouper vessels must have onboard NMFS approved sea turtle release gear and follow smalltooth sawfish release protocol. Click here to learn more or call 727-824-5312.
  • Annual Catch Limit (ACL) - This species is managed under an ACL. See current information on Recreational ACLs from NOAA Fisheries.
• Additional Updates: