CHEEKSPOT SCORPIONFISH
Scorpaenodes littoralis (Tanaka, 1917)
     Although this fish is included in my Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, the photograph in the book is incorrect. (The book photo shows a Speckled Scorpionfish, Sebastapistes coniorta, in a variant of its nighttime coloration.) Keoki Stender kindly provided me with this photo of the true Cheekspot Scorpionfish, taken under the Cargo Pier at Midway Atoll in about 30 ft. The Cheekspot Scorpionfish seems to be more common in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands than in the main Hawaiian Islands, although the Bishop Museum has several specimens from Oahu, most from depths of around 80 ft..