Southern Puffer
Sphoeroides nephelus
How to tell it
Smooth tan puffer with faint rings and blotches; inflates when annoyed.
- Not a northern puffer? That one tiny black pepper-grain spots, northern. (Northern Puffer)
- Not a striped burrfish? That one spined, striped. (Striped Burrfish)
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit | 2 fish or 100 lb default where open | Open year-round where allowedFWC 2026 · checked | Open |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit | 2 fish or 100 lb default where open | Open year-round where allowedFWC 2026 · checked | Open |
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): 2 fish or 100 lb default where open; Florida (Gulf): 2 fish or 100 lb default where open.
How do you tell southern puffer from northern puffer?
Southern Puffer has this: Smooth tan puffer with faint rings and blotches; inflates when annoyed.. Northern Puffer tiny black pepper-grain spots, northern.