Smooth puffer (Lagocephalus laevigatus) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 10–180 m.
Scientific name: Lagocephalus laevigatus · Water: Saltwater, Brackish
Size: up to 100 cm
The smooth puffer is a pelagic neritic tetraodontid that inhabits inshore and near-shore areas over sand or mud bottoms, usually alone or in small loose aggregates, and it is recorded from 10 to 180 m. Adults are pelagic but stay near continental margins, while the young are commonly found on coastal and offshore banks; it feeds on fish and shrimps. Its flesh is very delicate, but in some regions such as the Pacific and the Indian Ocean it is poisonous, particularly the skin and the viscera, and it should not be eaten. Reports differ on the risk, so check an authoritative source before eating it. Maximum length is about 100 cm total length, commonly about 60 cm. It is a minor commercial species and a gamefish, with a very high price category. Fishing vulnerability is moderate to high at 54 of 100 and resilience medium. IUCN lists it as least concern.
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