Phenacoscorpius megalops Fowler, 1938
Noline scorpionfish
photo by Randall, J.E.

Family:  Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes or rockfishes), subfamily: Scorpaeninae
Max. size:  13.5 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 68 - 622 m
Distribution:  Pacific: Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, and Hawaii; northernmost record Emperor Seamounts. Apparently restricted to the North Pacific (temperate to tropical) and reports from New Zealand and New Caledonia are based on misidentifications.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 12-12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 5-5. Lachrymal bone consisting of 2 spines over maxillary, first as a broad lobe, second as a broad spine pointing down; well marked suborbital ridge with 5 or 6 or more spines; second preopercle spine small or absent (Ref. 10482). Distinguished from other Hawaiian scorpionfishes by having only the anterior 4 or 5 tubed lateral line scales present, with the remainder of the lateral line absent; and presence of large melanophores on the caudal peduncle (Ref. 10482).
Biology:  Benthic (Ref. 58302). Feeds on small fishes and crustaceans (Ref. 5755). Female specimens (4.70-5.59 cm SL) taken from the Emperor Seamounts have mature gonads filled with relatively large eggs of several developmental stages with the most developed eggs are ca. 0.4 mm in diameter (Ref. 92340).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 03 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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