Chilomycterus spinosus spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

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 : 83

Chilomycterus spinosus spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Diodon spinosus Linnaeus, 1758: 335 ( India)

Diodon orbe Lacepède, 1798: 124 , pl. 3 (Rio de Janeiro) Cyclichthys cornutus Kaup, 1855: 231 ? (unknown locality)* Tetrodon torosus Larrañaga, 1923: 390 ? ( Uruguay)

*extant type

Based on examination of 24 lots (50–200 mm) from throughout the range, and the extant type of C. cornutus Kaup ( BMNH 1849.1.15.36) .

Linnaeus (1758, ref. 2787) based his description of Diodon spinosus on Artedi (1738), who cited an illustration by Willughby (1686). This information is sufficient to determine that the species is one of the “Atlantic Chilomycterus ” species, but without any lines or small spots on the body. This eliminates schoepfii , antennatus , antillarum and mauretanicus , leaving spinosus as the unlined, unspotted species of this group.

Lacepède (1798, ref. 2708) provided a figure of D. orbe that clearly shows the arrangement of spines and the diagnostic dorsal blotches and lack of small spots or lines on the body. This and the type locality leave no doubt that Diodon orbe is conspecific with C. spinosus (Linnaeus) .

The type of Cyclichthys cornutus Kaup (1855, ref. 2571) is a small, stuffed specimen of unknown origin with a thick coat of varnish, but the spine arrangement and presence of a supraocular tentacle show that it is clearly a species of the “Atlantic Chilomycterus ” group. The visible colour pattern best fits C. spinosus (Linnaeus) .

Tetrodon torosus Larrañaga (1923: 390 ref. 22561: not seen by me) has been regarded as a synonym of Chilomycterus spinosus (Linnaeus) since 1925 (Devincenzi, 1925, ref. 20322, see Eschmeyer, 2005) and I am unaware of any subsequent use of the name. If the synonymy of Devincenzi is correct, Uruguay would represent the southernmost record of C. spinosus spinosus .

As noted above, eastern Atlantic specimens of C. spinosus have oblique, irregular lines laterally on the trunk and head that are lacking in western Atlantic specimens. Therefore, I have recognized the western Atlantic population as the nominate subspecies and the eastern Atlantic population as C. spinosus mauretanicus (Le Danois) (see below).

Distribution. Western Atlantic

From northern coast of South America ( Surinam and British Guiana) to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.