Southern Puffer: Facts & Habitat

About Southern Puffer

The southern puffer (Sphoeroides nephelus) is a species of pufferfish in the family Tetraodontidae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea, and possibly further south on the coast of Brazil.

NativeSalt Brackish9 states

Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Southern puffer (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Range

Where it lives

96.4%of mapped records

Share of 2,185 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 9 states.

Share of records by state

Habitat

Water and movement

Water: WoRMS records this species in brackish water and the sea.

Classification

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Superclass: Actinopterygii
Class: Teleostei
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Tetraodontidae
Genus: Sphoeroides
Species: Sphoeroides nephelus
ITIS TSN: 173297
WoRMS AphiaID: 275280
GBIF key: 2407872
Outside the US: ITIS also files it in Caribbean Territories, Mexico.

Common questions about Southern Puffer

What is the scientific name of Southern Puffer?

The scientific name is Sphoeroides nephelus, in the family Tetraodontidae. Classification follows ITIS.

Does Southern Puffer live in fresh water or salt water?

WoRMS records this species in brackish water and the sea.

Where has Southern Puffer been recorded in the United States?

GBIF has observations in 9 states, with the most records in Florida, Texas, Alabama. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.

Closest relatives