About Lagocephalus laevigatus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Lagocephalus laevigatus, commonly called the smooth puffer, is a pufferfish species that belongs to the family Tetraodontidae. This species is native to two regions of the Atlantic Ocean: the Western Atlantic, where its range extends from New England to Argentina, and the Eastern Atlantic, where it ranges from Mauritania to Namibia. Adult smooth puffers are pelagic and live near continental margins, while juveniles are most often found closer to shore or on offshore banks. Both adult and juvenile smooth puffers occur either alone or in small, loose groups. The species inhabits sandy or muddy bottoms at depths between 10 meters (33 feet) and 180 meters (591 feet). It is a very large pufferfish, growing to a maximum total length of 100 centimeters (39.4 inches). Smooth puffers feed on fish and shrimp. If ingested by humans, this species can be dangerously toxic. It is an oviparous species. It is sometimes misidentified as the closely related Lagocephalus inermis, a species native to the Indo-Pacific.
