Taxonomy. First record from Lebanon as Helicolenus dactylopterus (De la Roche 1809) by George et al. (1964: 23); subsequently recorded as Helicolenus dactylopterus (Delaroche) by Mouneimné (1977: 66); as Helicolenus dactylopterus dactylopterus (Delaroche 1809) by Mouneimné (2002: 119); recently recorded as D. dactylopterus by Aguillar et al. (2018: 81). Recent unpublished records from Tyre, Sarafand, Saida, Beirut, Batroun, Tripoli (1998–2019).
Distribution. Mediterranean Sea, Sea of Marmara; eastern Atlantic: Norway south to South Africa; southwestern Indian Ocean: South Africa; Greenland; Western Atlantic.
Conservation. IUCN: Global (LC: 6 May 2013); Med. (LC: 15 November 2007). Capture and threats: FIT, FIB, unknown. Occurrence: Very common. Low priority for conservation action.