Species: Sphoeroides pachygaster, Blunthead Puffer

Sphoeroides pachygaster (Müller & Troschel, 1848)

Blunthead Puffer

Body oblong, thick, inflatable; head very blunt; wide between eyes; nasal organ on each side a short papilla with 2 small holes at end; eyes high on sides of head; jaws are a strong beak composed of 4 fused heavy powerful teeth with a central suture on each jaw; a slit-like gill opening in front of the pectoral fin base; a single short- based dorsal fin at rear of body; a similar-shaped anal fin with origin under or behind last few dorsal rays; dorsal rays 9, anal rays 8-9; pectoral 12-15; no pelvic fins; no spines in the fins; tail fin edge bluntly straight to slightly concave, with 10 main rays; tough scaleless skin, no skin flaps or prickles on skin.

Uniform brown to grey above, fading to unpigmented below; with indistinct dark blotches and spots on flank.

Size: 46 cm.

Habitat: demersal on sand, mud and rocky bottoms.

Depth: 25-600 m, rarely above 100m.

Apparently circumglobal (except for the eastern Pacific); New Jersey to Argentina.