Chilomycterus is a genus 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 five 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, 1758) (spotfin burrfish) Chilomycterus schoepfii (Walbaum, 1792) (striped burrfish) Chilomycterus spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Fossil species The following fossil species are known:
†Chilomycterus circumflexus (Leriche, 1942) (Middle to Late Miocene of Cuba and Florida & North Carolina, US) (=Diodon circumflexus Leriche, 1942) †Chilomycterus dzonotensis Cantalice et al., 2025 (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Mexico) †Chilomycterus exspectatus Aguilera et al, 2017 (Late Miocene of Panama) †Chilomycterus ferreirai (Santos & Travassos 1960) (Early Miocene of Brazil & Venezuela) †Chilomycterus gatunensis (Toula, 1909) (Late Miocene of Panama) †Chilomycterus kugleri (Casier, 1958) (Late Miocene of Trinidad) †Chilomycterus tyleri Aguilera et al, 2017 (Late Miocene of Panama) †Chilomycterus vetus (Leidy, 1877) (Middle Miocene of Trinidad, Late Miocene of Florida, US)
The former species C. acanthodes from the Miocene of Italy is now placed in Oligodiodon.
References