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.
Often mistaken for
Two fish that get called checkered puffer, and what gives each one away.
- Bandtail puffer: Dark blotches along the belly line, banded tail. Tell them apart
- Smooth puffer: Large, plain silver. 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; 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): 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 checkered puffer from bandtail puffer?
Checkered Puffer: 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.