Appearance
Scientific Name
Sphoeroide Maculatus
Market Forms
Whole, dressed, fillet, fresh, frozen. Size
8-10 inches long, 1 pound or less. Taste/Texture
It is a white meat, light, delicate sweet flavor. Seasonality
Puffer are available fresh from May to October and frozen year round. Nutritional Value
Protein - 23.2 grams
Fat - 0.7 grams
Potassium - 347 mg
Calcium - 18 mg
Phosphorus - 138 mg Substitutability
Similar in taste to white perch and sea bass.
Folklore
The puffer picks up its sugar toad name because of the sweet taste of its meat and because its skin that is covered with small spins that looks like the fish has been sprinkled with sugar. Harvesting
The bulk of commercially caught puffer are harvested by day boats with haul seines, gill nets, pound nets, and pilax trap because they prefer shallow water. Safety/Quality
Virginia's waters and products are regulated by federal and state agencies including the FDA, the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, insuring that only safe wholesome seafood reaches our customers.
