The checkered puffer is distributed throughout the IRL. Most of the time, people confuse poisonous and venomous. At his Hagi Honjin Ryokan in seaside Hagi, Japan, the fish is used for sashimi, fugu chiri—fugu hotpot, not unlike shabu shabu—and even as garnish for sake: The charred fin, … In addition to S. testudineus, three other Florida puffer species belong to the genus Sphoeroides are found in the IRL. The checkered puffer, Sphoeroides testudineus, is one of several fish species belonging to the family Tetradontidae, meaning “four teeth”. Now for the good news, the most common pufferfish found in Florida (Checkered Puffer) only has poison in the liver and the most common pufferfish in New England (Northern Puffer) is not poisonous. Put gloves on before touching the fish to ensure there is not toxin transmitted through your skin. Today, the commercial market has collapsed, but checkered puffer is often caught by recreational anglers and fresh catch can still be found in some US fish markets (Sibunka & Pacheco 1981). When the pufferfish gets scared, it will blow up its body by either gulping in water or air to double or triple their size. They're called puffers because when attacked they puff up like balloons. The toxins are in the fish's intestines, liver, skin and reproductive organs, which normally are discarded when a fish is cleaned, but the poison is so potent that it can contaminate the flesh during the clearing process. Please use caution when handling puffers not only because of the poison, but also because of their defense mechanisms. However, in the last decade, the numbers have risen again. Poisonous is when the animal transfers the toxin in a passive manner such as through consuming the animal’s meat or skin contact. It has a black bar between the eyes and prickles on the skin of the tail. Some recommended products may use affiliate links. Knowing where to locate pufferfish and how to catch them are important aspects of fishing for pufferfish and finally, what bait/lures to use is important as well. Many tan, fleshy tabs are present near the rear of the body. Yet, they're curious little beings. With a white, mild flavor meat, the pufferfish are also known as puffers, blowfish, sugar toads, toadies (in Florida) and “Chicken of the Sea” (in New England). The abdomen is whitish and unmarked. These would be easy to use when using bait or a soft plastic lure. Lines are dark gray to olive, with small, dark brown spots on cheeks and lower sides. In order to be successful in catching pufferfish it is important to know several aspects that relate to the pufferfish. These observations are presented in a 2010 Spanish-language work by Peralta-Meixueiro et al, entitled "Evaluación Espacio-temporal de los Ensamblajes de Peces en el Sistema Lagunar de RÃa Lagaratos, México," freely downloadable at http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/flsgp/flsgpw10002/data/papers/051.pdf. And Checkered Puffer flesh can be toxic, which may explain their apparent nonchalantness in a predator-prey world. His favorite fish to catch is a striped bass and his favorite bait to use is bunker. They are often caught by accident when fishing for flounder, redfish, trout, and snook. There's something about them almost creepily easy-going, self-confident and familiar. Like most smaller fish, puffers will congregate around rocks and structures as long as there is other life. The checkered puffer ranges from Rhode Island to Florida, Bermuda, and the southeast Gulf of Mexico to the southeastern coasts of Brazil (Robins & Ray 1986). Remember, there is a chance the puffer will inflate once you start messing with it so be cautious and enjoy a good laugh. It will help protect your skin and prevent any toxin from absorbing into your skin.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'catchandfillet_com-box-4','ezslot_7',130,'0','0'])); Another defense mechanism the puffers have is a beak like jaw. At only 18 cm, the reported maximum size for S. spengleri is much less than that of the checkered puffer. Most populations are found in association with seagrass beds and mangroves, although some individuals occur in rocky intertidal and hardbottom areas as well. The puffer’s skin has little spikes that make it feel like sandpaper. Puffers are great bait stealers so getting the perfect amount of bait is essential.