Chilomycterus spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Chilomycterus spinosus, sometimes known as the brown burrfish, is a species of burrfish in the family Diodontidae. It is native to the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, where it ranges from Venezuela to Argentina, including the island of Trinidad. It is known to occur in both marine and brackish environments, where it is typically found at a depth of 70 to 190 m (230 to 623 ft). The species reaches 28 cm (11 inches) in total length and can weigh up to at least 12.21 grams.
Although Chilomycterus mauretanicus, native to the eastern Atlantic, has historically been classified as a subspecies of C. spinosus, it is now considered by multiple sources to constitute a distinct and valid species.
Wikipedia contributors, Chilomycterus spinosus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T19:18:52.580264+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Chilomycterus spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Tetraodontiformes
- Family
- Diodontidae
- Genus
- Chilomycterus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderTetraodontiformes
- suborderTetraodontoidei
- familyDiodontidae Billberg, 1833
- genusChilomycterus Brisout de Barneville, 1846
- speciesChilomycterus spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Chilomycterus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| striped burrfishChilomycterus schoepfii (Walbaum, 1792) | DiodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| spotfin burrfishChilomycterus reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1758) | DiodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Chilomycterus mauretanicus (Le Danois, 1954) | DiodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| bridled burrfishChilomycterus antennatus (Cuvier, 1816) | DiodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| web burrfishChilomycterus antillarum Jordan & Rutter, 1897 | DiodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Chilomycterus spinosus spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Linnaeus, 1758) | synonym |
| Cyclichthys spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Linnaeus, 1758) | synonym |
| Diodon spinosus Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=293565 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:5Y522. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.