Checkered Puffer
Sphoeroides testudineus
Also called Puffer, Blowfish.
How to tell it
Pale puffer with a dark net-like pattern over the back and bars around the eyes; inflates when handled.
- Not a bandtail puffer? That one dark blotches along the belly line, banded tail. (Bandtail Puffer)
- Not a smooth puffer? That one large, plain silver. (Smooth Puffer)
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit | See note | Year-roundFWC 2026 · likely · checked | Check |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit | See note | Year-roundFWC 2026 · likely · 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; poisonings are on record in Florida.
In the app
Point the camera at a checkered 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 checkered puffer
How many checkered puffer can you keep?
Florida (Atlantic): See note; Florida (Gulf): See note.
How do you tell checkered puffer from bandtail puffer?
Checkered Puffer has this: Pale puffer with a dark net-like pattern over the back and bars around the eyes; inflates when handled.. Bandtail Puffer dark blotches along the belly line, banded tail.