Lophodiodon calori (Bianconi, 1854), 1979

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 : 87

Lophodiodon calori (Bianconi, 1854)

Diodon calori Bianconi, 1854: 69 ( Mozambique)

Lophodiodon nigropunctatus Smith, 1957: 222, fig. 4 (Port Alfred, South Africa)*

*extant type

Based on 13 specimens from most of the range, including the extant types. This species is widely distributed, but uncommon in collections.

Although the name Diodon calori dates from Bianconi, 1854 (ref. 17949), the illustration of Diodon calori in Bianconi (1855, ref. 295) is diagnostic for this species, with its large number of short spines, four lateral bars and no dorsal blotches.

Lophodiodon nigropunctatus Smith (1957, ref. 12171) was based on juveniles (30–60 mm SL), and the apparent difference in colour pattern with L. calori can be attributed to this. The spination of Smithʼs specimens is diagnostic.

Distribution. Indo-Pacific.

The 13 specimens I have examined are all from east Africa and Seychelles, but the species is reliably reported from Oman, Bali , Timor , the Australian Northwest Shelf , the South China Sea and New Caledonia, and somewhat less reliably as the similar D. punctulatus from New Guinea by Tortonese (1964, ref. 9080) and Munro (1967, ref. 6844) .