longnose puffer
Sphoeroides lobatus
Long-snouted puffer of bays and estuaries in the eastern Pacific, reaching 35.8 cm and weighing up to 972 g.
Also called: baiacu-focinho-longo, botete narizón, longnose puffer
- maximum
- 36 cm
- record/max.
- 1.0 kg
- depth
- 10–60 m
who is the longnose puffer
The family Tetraodontidae includes the puffers, round-bodied, which can inflate with water. This species reaches 35.8 cm and weighs up to 972 g, and lives in the eastern Pacific, from California to Chile, including the Galápagos, with records in Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It occupies bays, estuaries and shallow coastal areas, from 10 to 60 m, near the bottom. It is common in catches from these areas, mostly from commercial fishing, and is not sought by sport fishing.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the longnose puffer; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Round, short body, like that of other puffers, with an elongated snout, which gives the species its name. It lives in bays and estuaries, where it is common, and in shallow coastal areas, near the bottom, from 10 to 60 m. To tell it apart from other Pacific puffers, such as the bull's-eye puffer, look at the long snout.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Found in the eastern Pacific, from California to Chile, including the Galápagos, in bays and estuaries. In Latin America it ranges from Mexico to Chile. There are no records on the Brazilian coast.
Habitat: Bays, estuaries and shallow coastal areas, near the bottom, from 10 to 60 m.
rules for the longnose puffer
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Like other puffers, it has a strong beak: hold it away from your fingers and release it promptly. Do not take it home to eat, because puffers can be toxic.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02512, b = 2.88; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Sphoeroides lobatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Sphoeroides lobatusNames by country and language.
