Chilomycterus antillarum, Jordan & Rutter, 1897

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 : 84-85

Chilomycterus antillarum Jordan and Rutter, 1897

Diodon geometricus Bloch and Schneider, 1801: 513 , pl. 96 (coast of Brazil)

Chilomycterus antillarum Jordan and Rutter, 1897: 131 (Kingston, Jamaica)*

* extant type

Based on examination of 41 specimens including extant types. Although D. geometricus Bloch and Schneider (1801, ref. 471) is an older name than C. antillarum Jordan and Rutter (1897, ref. 10644), and the Bloch and Schneider figure clearly applies to the same species, the name has been little used since its description other than as a junior synonym of either spinosus or schoepfii . Other than Paepkeʼs (1999, ref. 24282) catalogue of Bloch types (unfortunately, the type of geometricus is lost), the most recent correct use of geometricus was Günther (1870, ref.1995), and this for only one of his ʻvarietiesʼ (i.e., beta). In contrast, C. antillarum has been widely, almost universally, used for this species (see Eschmeyer, 2005, for 13 publications between 1983 and 2003; in addition, Bailey et al., 1960, ref. 27285; 1970, ref. 27286; Böhlke and Chaplin, 1968, ref. 23150; Randall, 1968; 1996; Tyler, 1977; 1980, ref.4477; Robins et al., 1980, ref. 7111; 1991, ref. 14237; Lieske and Myers, 1994; Cervigón, 1996, ref. 24489; Smith, 1997; Lyczkowski-Schultz, et al., 2005). Because the senior synonym ( geometricus ) has not been used as a valid name after 1899, and because the junior name has been used in at least 25 works published by at least ten authors over the last 50 years, this meets the criteria of Articles 23.9.1 and 2 of ICZN (1999, ref. 26875), and prevailing usage (of antillarum ) must be maintained. In 2003, I suggested that current usage of C. antillarum be maintained in the interests of stability (Leis, 2003, ref. 27121), and here provide evidence that ICZN criteria require this to be met.

Chilomycterus orbitosus Poey (1875: 69, ref. 18564) is clearly a species of the “Atlantic Chilomycterus ” group, but there is no known extant type. Poeyʼs brief description on Cuban specimens seems to be based on a composite of C. antillarum and C. schoepfii from Cuba, but perhaps best fits the former. The name orbitosus has not been used since its description, as far as I can ascertain. So, even if it could be established that orbitosus Poey, 1875 and antillarum Jordan and Rutter, 1897 are conspecific, I would recommend against the use of the older orbitosus in the interests of stability.

Distribution. W Atlantic.

Florida, Bahamas and Cuba to Venezuela, Barbados and Brazil

Some Brazilian specimens are intermediate in colour between the crisp, dark hexagonal pattern typical of C. antillarum and the dark background with vague lighter spots typical of C. spinosus spinosus . The significance of this is unknown, and further investigation is required.