The Spotted Green Puffer has a stout rounded body shape with small spines. The face is very cute, having a smallish mouth topped by slightly bulging eyes and a broad forehead . Like many of the pufferfish, the coloring of the Spotted Green Puffer can vary. The adult is a beautiful rich green on top with dark spots and a whitish belly. In juveniles the green is less colorful. They can reach 6.7 inches (17 cm) in length
Despite pet stores selling them as freshwater fish, these fish live in Brackish water in their natural habitats. In nature they do spend some time in fresh water during the rainy season as they will go in to rain flooded areas as juveniles. As juveniles they can tolerate swimming through areas of freshwater, brackish water to saltwater.