peruvian puffer
Sphoeroides sechurae
Small puffer of soft bottoms in the eastern Pacific, reaching 17 cm, from the Gulf of California to Peru.
Also called: baiacu-peruano, botete peruano, peruvian puffer
- maximum
- 17 cm
- depth
- 10–60 m
who is the peruvian puffer
The family Tetraodontidae brings together the puffers, rounded fish that can inflate with water and have teeth fused into a beak. This species is small and reaches 17 cm. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Chimbote Bay, Peru, on soft bottoms in shallow waters, from 10 to 60 m. In Latin America it is recorded from Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It shows up in commercial catches, but it is not a fish 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 peruvian puffer; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Small puffer with a short, rounded body, reaching 17 cm. It lives on soft bottoms in shallow waters. To tell it apart from the smooth puffer, of similar size, check the range: the Peruvian puffer reaches the Gulf of California, while the smooth puffer ranges from Costa Rica to Peru.
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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 the Gulf of California to Peru, on soft bottoms in shallow waters. There are no records on the Brazilian coast.
Habitat: Soft bottoms in shallow waters, from 10 to 60 m.
rules for the peruvian 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 = 0.01778, b = 2.91; 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 sechurae (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 sechuraeNames by country and language.
