Chilomycterus antennatus (Cuvier, 1816), 1954

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 : 84

Chilomycterus antennatus (Cuvier, 1816)

Diodon antennatus Cuvier, 1816: 185 , pl. 9 (unknown locality)*?

Chilomycterus briareos Metzelaar, 1919: 173 , fig. 55 (Lesser Antilles, St Eustatius)*

Lyosphaera digitalis Breder, 1927: 81 , fig. 34 (locality unknown Western North Atlantic or W Indies)*

*extant type.

Based on examination of 37 lots, including extant types (see Leis and Bauchot, 1984, ref. 12539, for a discussion of the status of the types of D. antennatus Cuvier [1816, ref. 993]). In spite of assertions to the contrary, C. antennatus can have spotted fins. Fin spotting in C. antennatus begins basally on all fins at about 50 mm SL. The caudal fin becomes mostly or entirely spotted by 100–150 mm SL. Spotting on other fins seems variable, but basal one-third to one-half of the P, D and A fins can be spotted in specimens as small as 127 mm SL, whereas other specimens as large as 200 mm may have spots only on the extreme base on these fins. Because many ichthyologists have assumed that any Chilomycterus with spotted fins is C. reticulatus (or one of its synonyms), this has led to many misidentifications of C. antennatus , and is probably the basis for Jordan and Evermannʼs (1998, ref. 2244) inclusion of what are apparently characteristics of C. antennatus in their description of C. atringa .

Aside from colour differences, C. antennatus has larger fleshy tentacles, particularly over the eye, than do the other “Atlantic Chilomycterus ” species. It clearly has a Lyosphaera stage larva ( Heck and Weinstein, 1978).

Cuvierʼs (1816, ref. 993) description and figure were diagnostic of the species, and what is probably the type is extant in MNHN (see Leis and Bauchot, 1984, ref. 12539), leaving no doubt about the identity of this distinctive species .

The description and figure of Chilomycterus briareos Metzelaar (1919 ref. 2982) clearly refers to C antennatus , and the type is extant. The fish has spots on the fins, particularly on the caudal fin, which is common in larger individuals of C. antennatus .

In contrast, Lyosphaera digitalis Breder (1927, ref. 635), is the young ʻ Lyosphaera stageʼ of this species, virtually lacking spines. Heck and Weinstein (1978) have documented the transition of this distinctive ʻ Lyosphaera stageʼ to the juvenile of C. antennatus .

Distribution. Western Atlantic (possibly eastern Atlantic).

W Atlantic – Key West Florida to Panama, Colombia and Tobago, Bermuda, and throughout Caribbean and Antilles.

E Atlantic – no specimens, but see below.

There are persistent reports of C. antennatus from the eastern Atlantic, but I have seen no specimens from this area. Where published descriptions or illustrations of “ Chilomycterus antennatus ” from the eastern Atlantic are diagnostic, they are usually of C. spinosus mauretanicus , or in some cases C. reticulatus . However, there is one published illustration of a fish from Senegal that does appear to be C. antennatus , although it is identified in the publication as C. atringa (Linnaeus) ( Séret and Opic, 1981) . Unfortunately, the specimen was not retained (B. Séret, personal communication). When I requested a specimen for study, Séret, who was not in Senegal at the time, kindly arranged for a colleague to send me one: it was C. spinosus mauretanicus . Therefore, it is possible that C. antennatus does occur rarely in the eastern Atlantic, most likely as a waif from the west. Specimens are needed to confirm this.