Chilomycterus mauretanicus (Le Danois, 1954)
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 mauretanicus, commonly known as the Guinean burrfish, is a species of burrfish in the family Diodontidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, where it ranges from the Canary Islands to Angola, as well as possibly Namibia. It is typically seen in environments at depths of less than 100 m (328 ft) with a substrate composed primarily of sand or mud. The species reaches 25 cm (9.8 inches) in total length and is known to feed on hard-shelled invertebrates such as mollusks. Although the toxicity of the species has not been confirmed, it is believed to be poisonous to humans. As such, it is not a target for commercial fisheries, and sale of the species is reportedly banned in some countries.
Although Chilomycterus mauretanicus has historically been classified as a subspecies of the closely related Chilomycterus spinosus, it is now considered by multiple sources to constitute a distinct and valid species.
Wikipedia contributors, Chilomycterus mauretanicus; 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 mauretanicus (Le Danois, 1954)
- Name authority
- (Le Danois, 1954)
- 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 mauretanicus (Le Danois, 1954)
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 |
| bridled burrfishChilomycterus antennatus (Cuvier, 1816) | DiodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| web burrfishChilomycterus antillarum Jordan & Rutter, 1897 | DiodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Chilomycterus spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758) | 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 |
|---|---|
| Atinga atinga mauretanicus Le Danois, 1954 Le Danois, 1954 | synonym |
| Chilomycterus spinosus mauretanicus (Le Danois, 1954) (Le Danois, 1954) | 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=1524912 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:D568V. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.