Northern Puffer
Sphoeroides maculatus
The northern puffer puffs up into a ball in self-defense. (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
The northern puffer is a club-shaped fish that puffs up into a ball in self-defense. It visits the deep flats of the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay from spring through autumn.
Appearance:
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Yellow, brown or olive body covered in small prickles
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Yellow or white belly
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Puffs up into a ball in self-defense
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Dark, vertical, splotchy bars on the sides
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Small, black spots on the back, sides and cheeks
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Tiny, beak-like mouth
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Small dorsal fin set far back, near the tail
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Usually grows 8-10 inches long
Habitat:
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Bottom-dweller in the Bay’s flats and channel margins
Range:
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Visits the lower to middle Chesapeake Bay from spring through autumn
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More common in the lower Bay but travels as far north as Love Point on Kent Island
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Leaves the Bay in winter for deep offshore waters
Feeding:
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Uses its strong, beak-like mouth to crush the shells of small mollusks, crustaceans and other invertebrates
Predators:
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Ability to puff up into a prickly ball deters many predators
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
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Spawns from May-August in shallow waters near the shore
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Female lays sticky eggs that attach to the bottom
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Male guards the eggs until they hatch
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Little else is known about its life cycle
Other Facts:
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Puffs up by inhaling air or water into a special chamber near the stomach
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If caught and thrown back into the water while inflated, a northern puffer will float upside down at the surface for a few moments, then quickly deflate and swim away
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Although some types of puffers are poisonous, the northern puffer is not. In fact, it is a delicious fish, sold in fish markets as "sea squab."
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Not an efficient swimmer; swims by moving its tail fin back and forth like a paddle to propel itself forward.
Sources and Additional Information:
