Southern PufferorNorthern Puffer
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Southern Puffer
Smooth tan puffer with faint rings and blotches; inflates when annoyed.
Northern Puffer
Inflates; olive back, tiny mouth.
Northern puffer, next to southern puffer: tiny black pepper-grain spots, northern.
Side by side
| Southern Puffer | Northern Puffer | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Sphoeroides nephelus | Sphoeroides maculatus |
| Also called | — | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 1 lb 5 oz · New York (2020) |
| On the table | NO — Florida puffers have caused serious saxitoxin poisonings. | The 'sea squab' — edible unlike southern puffers, but only if you're CERTAIN of the species; when in doubt, no. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 2 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
Where either fish has a rule, the two are regulated the same. The name still goes in the log and on the tally.
| State | Southern Puffer: size · bag · season | Northern Puffer: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb default where openOpen year-round where allowedOpenFWC 2026 · checked | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb default where openOpen year-round where allowedOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb default where openOpen year-round where allowedOpenFWC 2026 · checked | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb default where openOpen year-round where allowedOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, southern puffer or northern puffer, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell southern puffer from northern puffer?
Southern Puffer: Smooth tan puffer with faint rings and blotches; inflates when annoyed. Northern Puffer: Inflates; olive back, tiny mouth. Northern puffer, next to southern puffer: tiny black pepper-grain spots, northern.
Which is better to eat, southern puffer or northern puffer?
Southern Puffer: NO — Florida puffers have caused serious saxitoxin poisonings. Northern Puffer: The 'sea squab' — edible unlike southern puffers, but only if you're CERTAIN of the species; when in doubt, no.
Do southern puffer and northern puffer have the same limits?
Yes, in every state that regulates either one. The table on this page lists each rule with its source and check date.