Southern Puffer
Sphoeroides nephelus
How to tell it
Smooth tan puffer with faint rings and blotches; inflates when annoyed.
Often mistaken for
Two fish that get called southern puffer, and what gives each one away.
- Northern puffer: Tiny black pepper-grain spots, northern. Tell them apart
- Striped burrfish: Spined, striped. 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
NO — Florida puffers have caused serious saxitoxin poisonings.
In the app
Point the camera at a southern 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 southern puffer
How many southern 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 southern puffer from northern puffer?
Southern Puffer: Smooth tan puffer with faint rings and blotches; inflates when annoyed. Northern puffer: tiny black pepper-grain spots, northern.