Fish Identification Photos: Longnose Puffer, Lobeskin Puffer, Sphoeroides lobatus: The Longnose Puffer is characterized by scattered triangular flaps of skin along its sides, and abundant, short, prominent spines covering its body. It sometimes has a series of obscure, dark bars along the sides. The Longnose Puffer is predominately olive with brown mottling, and it is covered with small white dots which gives it excellent camouflage.

The ventral parts and lower sides are white. The Longnose Puffer cannot be easily confused with any other species with the possible exception of the Slick Puffer, Sphoeroides lispus, which has no spines.

The Longnose Puffer is normally found over sandy bottoms and in weedy patches in the first 60 feet of the water column.

It reaches a maximum length of approximately 10 inches.

The Longnose Puffer is a member of a group of Pufferfish that comprise the Tetraodontidae or Pufferfish Family. In Mexico, the Longnose Puffer is omnipresent in virtually all Mexican waters, including the oceanic islands, being only absent from the northern areas of the Sea of Cortez.

Note: Like many puffers, the Longnose Puffer is reputed to be highly poisonous, even fatal, if eaten, due to the presence of tetrodotoxin believed to protect it from predation by larger fish.

Longnose Puffer, Sphoeroides lobatus: Photo courtesy John Snow.

Longnose Puffer, Sphoeroides lobatus: Photo courtesy John Snow. Longnose Puffer, Sphoeroides lobatus: Photo courtesy John Snow. Longnose Puffer, Sphoeroides lobatus: Caught with Captain Pata in the panga Salome, at La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, midmorning in May 2003, in 77-degree, 100 to 150-foot deep water, utilizing 30-pound test line with a 40-pound, two dropper loop rig, with swivel, 6-ounce bank sinker, and Mustad 92553 hooks, size 2/0, on cut squid, 25 miles north of La Playita. Size approximately 8 inches and 3/4 pound and gave no fight. A very rare catch. A “catch and release species” that readily returns to the deep. Reported to contain “highly toxic” components. Description and photo courtesy John Snow.