Tetrosomus was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1839 by William Swainson with Ostracion turritus as its type species by monotypy.

[1] O. turritus was first formally described in 1775 by the Finland-born Swedish explorer, orientalist, naturalist Peter Forsskål with its type locality given as the Red Sea off Mokha in Yemen.

O. turritus is now considered to be a junior synonym of O. gibbosus which had been described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae published in 1758.

[2] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies this genus within the family Ostraciidae in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes.

[8] Tetrosomus turretfishes are characterised by having a carapce with a triangular cross section and which is closed behind the dorsal and anal fins.