Summary ⁶

Southern puffer, Sphoeroides nephelus, is a species in the family Tetraodontidae, or pufferfishes. It is found in the Caribbean Sea, and possibly further south on the coast of Brazil.

Biology ⁷

Inhabits bays, estuaries and protected coastal waters. Feeds primarily on shellfish, also on some finfish (Ref. 3821).

Description ⁸

The southern puffer, Sphoeroides nephelus, has a brown body, paler below, adorned with a variety of darker and lighter spots and blotches and often pale tan rings and semicircles. Larger dark splotches along the lower sides are variable and dark slashes may occur on the lower cheek. A dark interorbital (between the eyes) bar and a distinctive dark spot at the axil of the pectoral fins are particularly useful in identifying specimens. mature, ripe males may be covered with small, bright red or orange spots (Shipps 1978). Hard spines are lacking and the usual ray count is: dorsal=7; anal=6; pectoral=14 (Hoese and Moore 1977 Robbins et al. 1986).As with other puffers, the small mouth is comprised of 4 teeth fused together to form a strong beak. Individuals lack scales (Hinchcliff 2004).

National distribution ⁹

United States

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Morphology ¹⁰

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 7

Size ¹¹

Maximum size: 300 mm TL

Diagnostic description ¹²

Upper side brown with large dark grey to black spots and light (pale blue or green in fresh specimens) irregular-shaped reticulations. Lower side with an irregular row of dusky to black rounded spots. The axil spot the most intense in the series. Sexually mature, ripe males sometimes covered with brilliant red or orange spots of about 1 mm in diameter (white in preserved specimen). No lappets on head or body (Ref 53033).

Look alikes ¹³

The distributions of Sphoeroides nephelus and the northern puffer, S. maculatus, overlap along the northern half of Florida (including northern portions of the IRL). These congeners are similar in appearance, although southern puffers lack the dark spots and diffuse gray bars characteristic of the northern puffer (Robins et al. 1986). Ray counts, interorbital distance, and habitat and ecology also aid in differentiation of the two species. Adult S. nephelus remain inshore whereas adult S. maculatus typically are collected offshore, and usually only juveniles of the two species are collected together (Shipp and Yerger 1969).

Habitat ¹⁴

Habitat Type: Marine

Comments: Bays, estuaries, and protected coastal waters (Robins and Ray 1986).

Reproduction ¹⁵

Reproduction is sexual; sexes are separate and fertilization is external. Springer and Woodburn (1960) reported Sphoeroides nephelus is a fall spawner, but Shipp and Yerger (1969) suggest more continuous spawning at least from spring through fall and possibly year-round within southern portions of the range.

Links to Access Genomic Data ¹⁶

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=39110&lvl=0

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Kevin Bryant, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/mentalblock/8321156217/
2. (c) Kevin Bryant, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/mentalblock/8322402948/
3. (c) Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Fishes, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/services/media.php?env=fishes&irn=5008644
4. (c) FAO, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://d1iraxgbwuhpbw.cloudfront.net/images/species/spnep_u0.gif
5. (c) Raredon, Sandra J., some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/services/media.php?env=fishes&irn=10334004
6. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphoeroides_nephelus
7. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20915690
8. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/11526789
9. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28812133
10. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20915692
11. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishWise Professional, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/24191378
12. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20915691
13. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/11526792
14. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28812135
15. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/11526794
16. (c) matbio, all rights reserved

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
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• VertNet
• World Register of Marine Species

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