Telescope fish

Mendosoma lineatum

Fish
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth5–77 m
Water temperature11–17 °C
Best monthsFebruary
How commonRare

Photo credit: (c) Peter Southwood, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

Mendosoma lineatum, the telescope fish, real bastard trumpeter or common trumpeter, is a species of marine ray finned fish belonging to the family Latridae, the trumpeters. It is native to the subantarctic and cooler temperate waters of the Southern Ocean. It inhabits tide pools and surge channels and has been found living inside such invertebrates as salps. It occurs from near the surface to a depth of about 20 metres (66 ft). This species can reach a length of 40 centimetres (16 in) TL. This species was thought to be the only known member of its genus.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Mendosoma lineatum”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 2 records
February: 13 records
March: 2 records
April: 2 records
May: 4 records
June: 5 records
July: 3 records
August: 0 records
September: 1 records
October: 4 records
November: 2 records
December: 2 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 5–77 m · Deepest record: 387.5 m

0–10 m: 3 records
10–20 m: 5 records
20–30 m: 0 records
30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 1 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 1 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110+ m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 11–17 °C

10–12 °C: 2 records
12–14 °C: 5 records
14–16 °C: 27 records
16–18 °C: 1 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Telescope fish

Other scientific names: Mendosoma allporti, Mendosoma elongatum, Mendosoma lineata

Similar species

Deep Sea Perch
Nemadactylus macropterus
Banded Morwong
Chirodactylus spectabilis
Black Butterfish
Dactylophora nigricans
Crested Morwong
Goniistius vestitus
bastard trumpeter
Latridopsis ciliaris
Bastard Trumpeter
Latridopsis forsteri

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
52 open-data records from 1968 to 2006.
Species data updated November 4, 2026.

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