Southern PufferorStriped Burrfish
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.
Striped Burrfish
Spiny balloon with wavy dark stripes and big doll eyes; short spines are always half-raised.
Striped burrfish, next to southern puffer: spined, striped.
Side by side
| Southern Puffer | Striped Burrfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Sphoeroides nephelus | Chilomycterus schoepfii |
| Also called | — | Spiny boxfish |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 1.62 lb · Texas (2014) |
| On the table | NO — Florida puffers have caused serious saxitoxin poisonings. | No — leave the puffer family off the table. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 1 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 3 of 3 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), southern puffer is No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb default where open while striped burrfish has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Southern Puffer: size · bag · season | Striped Burrfish: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb default where openOpen year-round where allowedOpenFWC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb default where openOpen year-round where allowedOpenFWC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| North Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, southern puffer or striped burrfish, 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 striped burrfish?
Southern Puffer: Smooth tan puffer with faint rings and blotches; inflates when annoyed. Striped Burrfish: Spiny balloon with wavy dark stripes and big doll eyes; short spines are always half-raised. Striped burrfish, next to southern puffer: spined, striped.
Which is better to eat, southern puffer or striped burrfish?
Southern Puffer: NO — Florida puffers have caused serious saxitoxin poisonings. Striped Burrfish: No — leave the puffer family off the table.
Do southern puffer and striped burrfish have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 3 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): southern puffer No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb default where open, striped burrfish no rule of its own; Florida (Gulf): southern puffer No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb default where open, striped burrfish no rule of its own; North Carolina: southern puffer no rule of its own, striped burrfish No size limit, No bag limit.