bullseye puffer
Sphoeroides annulatus
Soft-bottom puffer of the eastern Pacific, reaching 44 cm and up to 1.6 kg. It is poisonous to eat.
Also called: baiacu-olho-de-boi, botete diana, bullseye puffer
- maximum
- 44 cm
- record/max.
- 1.6 kg
- depth
- 10–60 m
who is the bullseye puffer
The family Tetraodontidae brings together the puffers, rounded fish that can inflate with water. This species reaches 44 cm and 1.6 kg, and its common length is 18 cm. It lives in the eastern Pacific, from California to Peru and the Galápagos, on soft bottoms, from 10 to 60 m, and juveniles live in estuaries. It makes a loud, grating sound. It is taken in commercial fishing, but it is poisonous to eat, so it should not be taken home to eat.
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 bullseye puffer; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It makes a loud, grating sound.
identification
Short, deep body with a very sinuous lateral line, the most useful mark for recognizing it. The nostrils are also unusually shaped. To tell it apart from other puffers of the same coast, such as the longsnout puffer, check this lateral line feature and the body shape.
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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 Peru and the Galápagos, on soft bottoms, with juveniles in estuaries. In Latin America it ranges from Mexico to Peru. There are no records on the Brazilian coast.
Habitat: Soft bottoms, from 10 to 60 m; juveniles live in estuaries.
rules for the bullseye 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.
It is poisonous to eat, so never take it home to eat. It has a strong beak: release it quickly, away from your fingers, and handle it as little as possible.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02754, 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 annulatus (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 annulatusNames by country and language.
