Cyclichthys orbicularis (Bloch, 1785)

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 : 82

Cyclichthys orbicularis (Bloch, 1785)

Diodon orbicularis Bloch, 1785: 73 , pl. 127 ( Jamaica?, Cape of Good Hope & Moluccas)*?

Diodon caeruleus Quoy and Gaimard, 1824: 201 , pl. 65 (fig. 5) ( North of New Guinea, 142°E, at the Equator)*

Chilomycterus parcomaculatus von Bonde, 1923: 38 , pl. 9 (fig. 2) (Natal, South Africa)

* extant type

Based on examination of 88 lots from throughout the range, including the extant types. There has been no real question as to the identity of this wide-spread and common species.

Although Blochʼs (1785, ref. 21381) types might all be lost, his plate showing the arrangement of spines, especially those near the mouth, is diagnostic of this species.There is one specimen of unknown origin in ZMB that may be a syntype of this species (Paepke, 1999, ref. 24282), but definitive evidence is lacking. The alleged type locality of Jamaica appears to be in error .

The holotype of Diodon caeruleus Quoy and Gaimard (1824, ref. 3574) was described and figured, and the specimen is extant (see Leis and Bauchot, 1984, ref. 12539), leaving no doubt that it is conspecific with C. orbicularis (Bloch) .

Chilomycterus parcomaculatus von Bonde (1923, ref. 521) was based on a specimen that was ʻinadvertently destroyedʼ (S.X. Kannemeyer, personal communication, 1/2/80), but the description and figure are diagnostic.

Distribution. Indo-west Pacific

W Indian Ocean – Capetown, South Africa to Red Sea, Oman and Persian Gulf, Maldives, Reunion.

E Indian Ocean – Shark Bay, Western Australia to Burma

W Pacific – southern Japan and Sea of Japan to Sydney, Australia and east to Philippines and New Caledonia.