Sphoeroides nephelus

Sphoeroides nephelus
Southern Puffer – Sphoeroides nephelus
FamilyScientific NameAuthorYearCommon Name
TetraodontidaeSphoeroides nephelus(Goode and Bean)1882Southern Puffer

Sphoeroides nephelus

Unique Characters: Nostrils easily visible with the naked eye. Dorsal surface posterior to eyes smooth, without a distinct keel. Eyes not accentuated by dark blue or green radiating lines. Dorsal-fin rays 12 or less; anal-fin rays 11 or less. Caudal fin rounded or truncate. Body usually with prickles (prickles often not exposed, but present beneath tiny pores in the integument). Interorbit of moderate to narrow width, usually 8% or less of standard length. Pigmentation variously mottled. Lappets absent. Vague dark interorbital bar. Dorsal pattern variously mottled, but not with coarse white arches and circular markings. Lateral markings posterior to pectoral fins varied, but not distinct, vertically elongate bars. No tiny (to 1 mm) jet black spots over dorsal and lateral surfaces, except rarely a few beneath the eye. Prickles on ventral surfaces, if present, do not extend beyond the anus. Pectoral-fin rays 13-17.

Similar Species:

Blunthead Puffer
Sphoeroides pachygaster

Marbled Puffer
Sphoeroides dorsalis

Sphoeroides dorsalis
Marbled Puffer – Sphoeroides dorsalis

Blunthead Puffer Sphoeroides pachygaster. Nostrils easily visible with the naked eye. Dorsal surface posterior to eyes smooth, without a distinct keel. Eyes not accentuated by dark blue or green radiating lines. Dorsal-fin rays 12 or less; anal-fin rays 11 or less. Caudal fin rounded or truncate. Body entirely smooth, prickles totally lacking. Interorbit broad, usually 8% or more of standard length. Pigmentation mostly uniform, except usually a few dark spots on flanks.

Marbled Puffer Sphoeroides dorsalis. Nostrils easily visible with the naked eye. Dorsal surface posterior to eyes smooth, without a distinct keel. Eyes not accentuated by dark blue or green radiating lines. Dorsal-fin rays 12 or less; anal-fin rays 11 or less. Caudal fin rounded or truncate. Body usually with prickles (prickles often not exposed, but present beneath tiny pores in the integument). Interorbit of moderate to narrow width, usually 8% or less of standard length. Pigmentation variously mottled. Lappets present on dorsal and/or lateral surfaces; sometimes only a single black pair on dorsum about 1/2 the distance between posterior margins of orbits and dorsal-fin origin, or scattered light tan lappets concentrated near posterolateral body margin. A single pair of black lappets present on the dorsum; no lappets on posterolateral body surfaces. Cheeks marbled in subadult and adult males. From 1-5 diffuse dark blotches present on lateral body surface posterior to pectoral fin.

Bandtail Puffer Sphoeroides spengleri

Checkered Puffer Sphoeroides testudineus

Northern Puffer Sphoeroides maculatus

Sphoeroides spengleri
Bandtail Puffer – Sphoeroides spengleri
Sphoeroides maculatus
Northern Puffer – Sphoeroides maculatus

Bandtail Puffer Sphoeroides spengleri. Nostrils easily visible with the naked eye. Dorsal surface posterior to eyes smooth, without a distinct keel. Eyes not accentuated by dark blue or green radiating lines. Dorsal-fin rays 12 or less; anal-fin rays 11 or less. Caudal fin rounded or truncate. Body usually with prickles (prickles often not exposed, but present beneath tiny pores in the integument). Interorbit of moderate to narrow width, usually 8% or less of standard length. Pigmentation variously mottled. Lappets present on dorsal and/or lateral surfaces; sometimes only a single black pair on dorsum about 1/2 the distance between posterior margins of orbits and dorsal-fin origin, or scattered light tan lappets concentrated near posterolateral body margin. Black dorsal pair of lappets absent; light or tan lappets present on posterolateral portions of body. Cheeks variously pigmented but not marbled.

Checkered Puffer Sphoeroides testudineus. Nostrils easily visible with the naked eye. Dorsal surface posterior to eyes smooth, without a distinct keel. Eyes not accentuated by dark blue or green radiating lines. Dorsal-fin rays 12 or less; anal-fin rays 11 or less. Caudal fin rounded or truncate. Body usually with prickles (prickles often not exposed, but present beneath tiny pores in the integument). Interorbit of moderate to narrow width, usually 8% or less of standard length. Pigmentation variously mottled. Lappets absent. One or 2 distinct, transverse, white interorbital bars, the posterior one often connected by a posterior perpendicular extension to a dorsal pattern of coarse white arches and circular markings.

Northern Puffer Sphoeroides maculatus. Nostrils easily visible with the naked eye. Dorsal surface posterior to eyes smooth, without a distinct keel. Eyes not accentuated by dark blue or green radiating lines. Dorsal-fin rays 12 or less; anal-fin rays 11 or less. Caudal fin rounded or truncate. Body usually with prickles (prickles often not exposed, but present beneath tiny pores in the integument). Interorbit of moderate to narrow width, usually 8% or less of standard length. Pigmentation variously mottled. Lappets absent. Vague dark interorbital bar. Dorsal pattern variously mottled, but not with coarse white arches and circular markings. Several (usually 6-8) distinct, vertically elongate bars posterior to pectoral fins. Dorsal and lateral surfaces in mature specimens (above 70 mm) covered with tiny (to 1 mm) jet black spots; prickles on ventral surface extend posteriorly beyond the anus, usually to the anal-fin origin. Pectoral-fin rays 15-17, usually 16.

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