Genus: Chilomycterus, Burrfish Porcupine Fish, Burrfishes
nasal organ: open cup with pits or tentacle with 2 openings
few short immovable spines
CHILOMYCTERUS
BURRFISHES
Body rotund, can be inflated; head wide and blunt; eyes large; nasal organ an open pitted cup or a tentacle with 2 openings; teeth fused into a strong, parrot-like beak with two plates that lack a front groove, large, opens widely at front; gill opening a vertical slit before pectoral base; pectorals large; fins without spines; no pelvic fins; body and head covered with a few short (< eye), fixed, 3-4 rooted spines that are triangular and flattened in cross-section, and, in some cases reduced to plates under skin; tail fin with 9-10 rays.
This circumtropical genus contains 7 species; 5 of which are in our area.
