Allomycterus McCulloch, 1921

Leis, Jeffrey M., 2006, Nomenclature and distribution of the species of the porcupinefish family Diodontidae (Pisces, Teleostei), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63 (1), pp. 77-90 : 86

Allomycterus McCulloch, 1921

Allomycterus McCulloch, 1921 (type species Allomycterus jaculiferus [non-Cuvier] McCulloch = Allomycterus pilatus Whitley ) Diagnosis. All spines fixed except 1 or 2 in P axil; spines with 3 bases except erectile ones; spines long or short; 9 C rays; no tentacles in adults; nostril in adult bifid; no spines wholly on dorsal surface of caudal peduncle, but large spines that extend over the peduncle nearly to the caudal-fin base; no fins spotted; no large blotches on dorsal surface, but lateral bars may be present.

The type species of this genus is A. jaculiferus (non-Cuvier) McCulloch. McCulloch (1921, ref. 2945), apparently following Güntherʼs (1870, ref. 1995) concept of jaculiferus , provided an excellent illustration of the species he was proposing as the type of his new genus. However, it was not D. jaculiferus of Cuvier (1818, ref. 18059). Whitley (1931, ref. 4673) realized this, and also realized that McCullochʼs fish was undescribed. Whitley therefore described as new Allomycterus pilatus , and designated as his holotype the specimen illustrated and described by McCulloch (1921). Not surprisingly, this has caused some confusion.