Occurrence and Additional Specimens of a Scorpionfish, Idiastion pacificum (Actinopterygii: Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae), from the Central North Pacific

Abstract

Two specimens (124.0-148.6mm standard length) of a scorpionfish, Idiastion pacificum Ishida and Amaoka, 1992, were collected from the central North Pacific, representing the first record of the species from this area. This finding extends the distributional range of Idiastion pacificum, which was previously known only from the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, western North Pacific. This study provides new morphological data and a color photograph of I. pacificum based on these two additional specimens, with a comparison to Idiastion kyphos Eschmeyer, 1965.