Bandtail Puffer
Sphoeroides spengleri
Also called Puffer.
How to tell it
Small puffer with a row of dark blotches low on the side and dark bands on the tail.
Often mistaken for
One fish that gets called bandtail puffer, and what gives it away.
- Checkered puffer: Net pattern on the back. Tell them apart
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit | Banned in 5 east-coast counties · elsewhere 2 fish or 100 lb | Banned in Volusia–Martin counties (toxin)FWC, Fla. Admin. Code r. 68B-3.007 · checked | Check |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit | Banned in 5 east-coast counties · elsewhere 2 fish or 100 lb | Banned in Volusia–Martin counties (toxin)FWC, Fla. Admin. Code r. 68B-3.007 · checked | Check |
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
On the table
Do not eat — puffers carry saxitoxin.
In the app
Point the camera at a bandtail puffer and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about bandtail puffer
How many bandtail puffer can you keep?
Florida (Atlantic): Banned in 5 east-coast counties · elsewhere 2 fish or 100 lb; Florida (Gulf): Banned in 5 east-coast counties · elsewhere 2 fish or 100 lb.
How do you tell bandtail puffer from checkered puffer?
Bandtail Puffer: Small puffer with a row of dark blotches low on the side and dark bands on the tail. Checkered puffer: net pattern on the back.