''Chilomycterus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of diodontid tetraodontiform fishes commonly called "burrfish."

Distribution

A majority of ''Chilomycterus'' species are found in the Atlantic Ocean, and primarily in the western Atlantic. Only one species, ''C. reticulatus'', is also found in the Indo-Pacific region. The western Atlantic appears to have always been a region of diversity for the genus, as a majority of fossil species have been found there. Only a single indeterminate fossil assigned to this genus is known from the Pacific coast of Panama.

Species

There are currently 5 recognized species in this genus:Matsuura, K. (2014): Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014. ''Ichthyological Research, 62 (1): 72-113.'' * '' Chilomycterus antennatus'' ( G. Cuvier, 1816) (bridled burrfish) * '' Chilomycterus antillarum'' D. S. Jordan & Rutter, 1897 (web burrfish) * '' Chilomycterus mauretanicus'' ( Y. Le Danois, 1954) (Guinean burrfish) * '' Chilomycterus reticulatus'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...

) (spotfin burrfish) * '' Chilomycterus schoepfii'' ( Walbaum, 1792) (striped burrfish) * ''

Chilomycterus spinosus ''Chilomycterus spinosus'', sometimes known as the brown burrfish, is a species of burrfish in the family Diodontidae. It is native to the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, where it ranges from Venezuela to Argentina, including the island of Trinida ...

'' (

)

Fossil species

The following fossil species are known: * † ''Chilomycterus'' ''circunflexus'' (Leriche, 1942) (

Late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million ye ...

of Cuba & Florida, US) * †'' Chilomycterus dzonotensis'' Cantalice ''et al''., 2025 (Late Miocene/

Early Pliocene Early may refer to: Places in the United States * Early, Iowa, a city * Early, Texas, a city * Early Branch, a stream in Missouri * Early County, Georgia * Fort Early, Georgia, an early 19th century fort Music * Early B, stage name of Jamaican d ...

of Mexico) * †'' Chilomycterus exspectatus'' Aguilera ''et al'', 2017 (Late Miocene of

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

) * †'' Chilomycterus ferreirai'' (Santos & Travassos 1960) (

Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages: the Aquitanian age, Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 annum, Ma to ...

of Brazil & Venezuela) * † ''Chilomycterus gatunensis'' (Toula, 1909) (Late Miocene of Panama) * †'' Chilomycterus kugleri'' (Casier, 1958) (Late Miocene of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

) * †'' Chilomycterus tyleri'' Aguilera ''et al'', 2017 (Late Miocene of Panama) * † ''Chilomycterus vetus'' ( Leidy, 1877) (

Middle Miocene The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), epoch made up of two Stage (stratigraphy), stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene. The sub-epoch lasted from 15.97 ± 0. ...

of Trinidad, Late Miocene of Florida, US) The former species ''C. acanthodes'' from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

of Italy is now placed in '' Oligodiodon''.

References

Marine fish genera Taxa named by Charles N. F. Brisout {{Tetraodontiformes-stub