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*Sphoeroides sechurae Hildebrand, 1946. Peruvian Puffer or Southern Puffer. To 17 cm (6.7 in) TL (Bussing
in Fischer et al. 1995). Tip of Baja California and western and central-eastern Gulf of California
(Robertson and Allen 2002) to Bahia de Sechura, Peru (Chirichigno and Veléz 1998). At depths of 4–
118 m (13–387 ft) (min.: SIO 62-214; max.: SIO 65-350).
Sphoeroides trichocephalus (Cope, 1870). Dwarf Puffer or Pygmy Puffer. To 12.6 cm (5 in) TL (Robertson
and Allen 2002). Bahia Santa Maria (24°40'N, 112°W), southern Baja California (SIO 60-311) and
southern Mexico to Chile, including Islas Tres Marias (Robertson and Allen 2002). At depths of 1–10 m
(3–33 ft; Robertson and Allen 2002).
Family Diodontidae — Porcupinefishes
Chilomycterus reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1758). Spotfin Burrfish or Spotted Burrfish. To about 75 cm (29.5 in)
TL (Leis in Carpenter and Niem 2001). Circumtropical; Japan (Aizawa in Nakabo 2002) and as far
north as southern Kuril Islands (Savinykh 1998); Long Beach Harbor, southern California (Lea 1998) to
Chile (Allen and Robertson 1994), including Islas Galápagos (Grove and Lavenberg 1997). At depths of
1–141 m (3–462 ft; Chave and Mundy 1994). Chilomycterus affinis Günther, 1870, is a junior synonym.
Diodon holacanthus Linnaeus, 1758. Balloonfish, Freckled Porcupinefish, Longnose Porcupinefish, or
Longspined Balloonfish. To 60 cm (23.6 in) TL (Amezcua Linares 1996), 30 cm (11.8 in) SL (Leis 2003).
Circumglobal; Japan (Aizawa in Nakabo 2002) to La Jolla, southern California (Grove and Lavenberg
1997) to Easter Island (Pequeño 1989), including Gulf of California (Thomson et al. 2000) and Islas
Galápagos (Grove and Lavenberg 1997). At depths of 1 m (3 ft; Robertson and Allen 2002) to at least
100 m (328 ft; Randall et al. 1990).
Diodon hystrix Linnaeus, 1758. Freckled Porcupinefish, Porcupinefish, Spotfin Porcupinefish, or Spotted
Porcupinefish. To 91 cm (36 in) TL (Miller and Lea 1972), 75 cm (29.5 in) SL (Leis 2003). Circumglobal
in warm waters; Japan (Aizawa in Nakabo 2002) and southeast of Kuril Islands (Parin 2003); San Diego,
southern California to Chile, including Gulf of California and Islas Galápagos (Miller and Lea 1972). At
depths of 1–135 m (3–443 ft) (min.: González-Acosta et al. 1999; max.: Ralston et al. 1986).
Family Molidae — Molas or Ocean Sunfishes
Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758). Mola or Ocean Sunfish. Confirmed to 2.7 m (8.9 ft) TL (T. Thys, pers. comm.
to M. L.); possibly to 4 m (13.1 ft) TL (Miller and Lea 1972). Circumglobal in temperate and tropical
waters; Japan (Hatooka in Nakabo 2002) and southern Kuril Islands (Parin 2003) to Gulf of Alaska
(Mecklenburg et al. 2002) to Las Cruces (33°29'S), central Chile (Brito 2003), including Gulf of
California (Scott in Fischer et al. 1995) and Islas Galápagos (Grove and Lavenberg 1997). Surface to
644 m (2,113 ft) (min.: Clemens and Wilby 1946; max.: T. Thys, pers. comm. to M. L.). Deepest known
occurrence off eastern Pacific coasts is 392 m (1,286 ft; Cartamil and Lowe 2004).
Ranzania laevis (Pennant, 1776). Slender Mola. To 90 cm (35.4 in) TL (Hutchins in Carpenter and Niem
2001). Circumglobal (Hutchins in Carpenter and Niem 2001); Oceano, central California (Snyder 1913)
to Chile (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983), including Gulf of California (Scott in Fischer et al. 1995). Surface
to 200 m (660 ft; Robertson and Allen 2002).
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