Northern puffer
📖 Overview
Inhabits bays, estuaries and protected coastal waters. Sold as `sea squab' in northern part of range. Feeds primarily on shellfish, occasionally on finfish. Reportedly non-toxic.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 7. Upper side grey or brown with poorly defined black spots and saddles. Belly yellow to white. Tiny jet-black pepper spots (about 1 mm in diameter) scattered over most of pigmented surface, particularly evident on cheeks. Lower sides with a row of black, elongate, bar-like markings. No lappets on head or body (Ref 53033).: short and / or deep.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Northern puffer is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Northern puffer is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Reproduction data for Northern puffer is currently being compiled.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 10 - 183 m . Temperate; 54°N - 29°N foundland in Canada to northeastern Florida in USA.
🌿 Ecology
shellfish, occasionally on finfish
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | blowfish · Chicken-of-the-sea · Green Eye · Northern Puffer · Puff Fish · Puffer · Sugar Toad · Swellfish · Swelling Toad · Toad |
| 🏳️Catalan | Peix bola d'estuari |
| 🌍CES | čtverzubec skvrnitý |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Nordlig Kuglefisk |
| 🇩🇪German | Kugelfisch |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | Pallokala |
| 🇫🇷French | Compère · Compère Bigarè · sphéroïde du nord |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Tetradonte |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | Fugu |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Baiacu · Peixe-bola · Peixe-bola-do-norte |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Пятнистая рыба-шар · скалозуб северный |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Tamboril · Tamboril Norteño |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | Blåsfisk |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 斑點圓魨 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sphaeroides maculatus | Bloch & Schneider | 1801 | Synonym |
| Spheroldes maculatus | Bloch & Schneider | 1801 | Synonym |
| Tetraodon maculatus | Bloch & Schneider | 1801 | Synonym |
| Tetrodon hispidus maculatus | Bloch & Schneider | 1801 | Synonym |
| Tetrodon turgidus | Mitchill | 1815 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) — 156 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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