About Sphoeroides maculatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Body Shape
The northern puffer, Sphoeroides maculatus, has a club-like body shape. The entire body of adult individuals is covered in small spines, and the species has a tiny, beak-shaped mouth.
Base Coloration
This puffer is characterized by vertical stripes; its dorsal surface ranges from gray to brown, while its belly is yellow to white.
Body Spots
Tiny jet-black pepper spots, roughly 1 mm in diameter, are scattered across most of its pigmented body surface, and are especially noticeable on the cheeks. A row of black, elongated, bar-shaped markings runs along the lower sides of its body.
Dorsal Fin Structure
It has a small dorsal fin positioned far back on the body, close to the tail.
Inflation Defense Behavior
Like other members of the puffer family, Sphoeroides maculatus puffs up into a ball as a self-defense behavior by inhaling water into a specialized chamber near its stomach. If removed from water, it will puff up using air instead.
Size
The northern puffer can grow up to 36 cm (1 ft 2 in) in total length, though most individuals reach around 20 cm (8 in).
Habitat and Depth
The northern puffer lives in bays, estuaries, and protected coastal waters at depths between 10 and 183 m (33–600 ft) in the northwest Atlantic.
Distribution Range
Its distribution ranges from Florida in the United States to Newfoundland in Canada.
Spawning Period and Substrate
Northern puffers spawn between May and August, laying eggs in shallow water over sandy or muddy substrates.
Egg Guarding Behavior
Males defend the adhesive eggs until they hatch.
