The present report deals with the age character, age determination and growth of the puffer, Takifugu rubripes (Temminck et Schlegel) caught in the middle and west Seto Inland Sea. 1) The most suitable age character for age determination of this species was the 7th vertebral centrum among the basioccipital, opercle, preopercle, coracoid, ceratohyal, urostyle, hypural and vertebrae. 2) The relationship between the year (t) after the birth and the total length (Lt mm) after t year was estimated as follows: for males, Lt = 639.0 (1–e^0.167( t+1.207) and for females, Lt = 704.6 (1-e^-0.151(t+1.198) 3) By the monthly change of the marginal growth rate of the vertebral centrum, it was estimated that the annual mark was formed from March.