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BOSS 03 · DESERT · CHECKED SEP 1, 2026

How to Beat Pufferfish
in How to Fish Game

Pufferfish is the Desert progression boss and a major difficulty jump. Use Coconut to catch Bing Bong, give that catch to the nearby islander for the Carrot lead, then cast the Carrot only after preparing hard cover, food, ammunition, and a clear landing area. Respect the inflated rolling and airborne poison pressure, secure the Pufferfish Fin, and complete the hand-in that opens Rocks.

TRIGGERCarrot
LOCATIONDesert / Island 3
PROTECTPufferfish Fin
Original Desert route diagram from Coconut to Pufferfish
SITE GUIDE ARTFollow the current objective through Coconut, Bing Bong, the islander exchange, Carrot, Pufferfish, Fin, and Rocks hand-in.

1. Build the Coconut → Bing Bong → Carrot chain

The current practical evidence closes the previously unclear bait step: use Coconut on the third island to catch the creature visibly labeled Bing Bong, then give that catch to the nearby islander to obtain the Carrot lead used for Pufferfish. The recording does not establish a permanent Coconut price, formal NPC name, or whether every patch requires the same body state, so follow the live objective text whenever it differs.

Keep Bing Bong intact until the islander accepts it. After the exchange, confirm the Carrot is actually in inventory and do not confuse it with ordinary Standard Lure. If the islander does not accept the catch, reopen the dialogue, check that the Desert quest is active, and compare the creature label with the objective. Recatching the correct target is safer than forcing an unverified inventory trick.

2. Set hard cover before you use the Carrot

Pufferfish can inflate, roll through the arena, and create airborne poison or gas pressure after its health has been reduced. Open ground invites damage from both the moving body and the surrounding hazard. Pick a tree, shop corner, roof edge, or other solid obstacle that lets you rotate around it without becoming trapped against water. Cover should break the approach, but it is not invulnerability.

A shotgun recoil jump can reach the top of a Coconut tree, yet the captured test explicitly shows Pufferfish can still attack the player there. Use height only to reposition, never as an AFK safe spot. Load a ranged weapon, carry food, leave inventory space for the Fin, and save before casting. In co-op, decide who keeps the boss moving and who collects the unique drop.

Original Pufferfish roll, gas, cover, and punish loop
SITE GUIDE ARTRotate around hard cover, let the roll or airborne hazard pass, fire briefly, then relocate before the next approach.

3. Read inflation and rolling before attacking

At the start, watch how the boss turns and how much space the inflated body occupies. When Pufferfish begins a committed roll or broad movement, stop aiming and move across the safe side of cover. Do not back straight away while scoped; that narrows the camera and often sends the player into water, gas, or the boss’s next line. Once the body passes the obstacle, use a short ranged burst and reset.

  1. Keep the obstacle between you and the boss.Rotate around the solid side instead of standing at the edge of the poison zone.
  2. Move when the roll commits.Sprint first, then turn the camera after reaching stable ground.
  3. Use short damage windows.Fire after the pass; do not extend a reload while the boss is already turning back.
  4. Relocate as the hazard grows.When gas or airborne pressure fills the lane, choose new hard cover rather than forcing the old position.

The guide intentionally avoids a half-health trigger claim. The footage supports inflation and gas after damage has been dealt, but not an exact threshold, radius, damage value, or permanent phase timing. React to what appears on screen rather than waiting for a percentage.

Original Pufferfish Fin recovery and Rocks unlock diagram
SITE GUIDE ARTCollect the Fin immediately, complete the Desert hand-in, and confirm the Rocks marker before leaving.

4. Protect the Fin and confirm the Rocks unlock

After the boss falls, search the landing area for the Pufferfish Fin before collecting ordinary meat or returning to the boat. Verify the Fin in inventory, then follow the current quest marker to the Desert hand-in. The kill alone does not prove the route is complete. Wait for the Fin to be accepted and confirm the red Rocks marker or onward objective.

If the Fin is missing, inspect under the body, around the obstacle, along slopes, and near water. Ask every co-op player to check inventory. If it was sold, cooked, or lost, repeat the Bing Bong and Carrot chain and choose a flatter landing area. If Rocks does not appear after the hand-in, reopen the dialogue and check the objective log before sailing blindly.

DESERT COMPLETECoconut → Bing Bong → islander → Carrot → Pufferfish defeated → Fin accepted → Rocks marker confirmed.
How to Fish boss encyclopedia capture including Pufferfish
SITE GUIDE ARTThe in-game label and live objective remain the authority for identity and progression; numeric combat claims are intentionally omitted.

Common Pufferfish failures

The islander rejects the catchConfirm it is Bing Bong caught with Coconut and that the Desert objective is active.
The tree still takes damageHeight is not a safe exploit. Drop to stable ground and rotate around solid cover.
The gas closes the laneStop forcing the same obstacle; relocate before aiming or reloading.
Rocks remains lockedThe Pufferfish kill is insufficient until the Fin is collected and accepted.