Being wrong on this, and getting caught, would be foolish and costly!
Utilizing a Florida Recreational Saltwater Fishing License you cannot collect any Hard corals. Here's the link to that quote I posted above -
RECREATIONAL HARVESTING INFORMATION FOR MARINE LIFE SPECIES
Here is a quote from the FL Regs:
ORNAMENTAL TROPICAL FISH AND PLANTS
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT (Total length) Spanish Hogfish 2” Spotfin Hogfish 3” Porkfish 1½”
MAXIMUM SIZE LIMIT (Total length) Angelfish (except Rock Beauty) 8” Butterflyfish, Jawfish 4” Rock Beauty 5” Gobies 2” Spanish Hogfish 8” Spotfin Hogfish 8”
BAG LIMIT Fishes / Invertebrates: 20 per person per day. No more than 5 Angelfish and no more than 6 Octocoral colonies PLANTS: 1 gallon per person per day
Live landing and live well requirements. Harvest in Biscayne National Park & John Pennekamp State Park prohibited.
And one other quote from the FL Regs:
PROHIBITED SPECIES
It is unlawful to harvest, possess, land, purchase, sell, or exchange the following species:
Nassau Grouper, Goliath Grouper (Jewfish), Sawfish, Atlantic Angel Shark, Bigeye Sixgill Shark, Bigeye Thresher Shark, Bignose Shark, Caribbean Reef Shark, Dusky, Galapagos Shark, Longfin Mako Shark, Narrowtooth Shark, Night Shark, Puffer fish (harvest pro-
hibited in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties), Sevengill Shark, Sixgill Shark, Smalltail Shark, Basking Shark, Whale Shark, Spotted Eagle Ray, Sturgeon, White Shark, Sand Tiger Shark, Bigeye Sand Tiger Shark, Manta Ray, Spiny Dogfish,
Longspine Urchin,
Stony, Hard and Fire Corals, Sea Fans, Florida Queen Conch and Bahama Starfish. Harvest of live rock in state waters is prohibited.
Here is the link to the FL Regs:
July2008RegsChart
Scroll to the bottom.
To collect Restricted Species in FL you need additional licenses (2, I believe) A Restricted Species license and a Commercial Saltwater Fishing license. I have been researching this in depth. If you find differently, I'd appreciate links to the information. It would make life a lot easier.
Dick