Chilomycterus schoepfii (Walbaum, 1792)
Striped burrfish
photo by Johnson, L.

Family:  Diodontidae (Porcupinefishes (burrfishes))
Max. size:  27.9 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 630.0 g
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 1 - 11 m
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia (Canada), Maine (USA), Bahamas, and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. Uncommon or absent from most of West Indies.
Diagnosis:  No spines wholly on caudal peduncle. Supraocular tentacles absent or much smaller than eyes. 5 to 7 large dark blotches on back and sides, with many, approximately parallel to obliquely intersecting dark lines distributed over light background colour. No small, dark spots either on body or fin (Ref 53034).
Biology:  Very common in seagrass beds in bays and coastal lagoons. Also found on shallow coastal reefs (Ref. 9710). Has been traded as an aquarium fish at CearĂ¡, Brazil (Ref. 49392).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 04 February 2009 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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