Catalyzes the 2-hydroxylation of not only racemic phytanoyl-CoA and the isomers of 3-methylhexadecanoyl-CoA, but also a variety of other mono-branched 3-methylacyl-CoA esters (with a chain length of at least seven carbon atoms) and straight-chain acyl-CoA esters (with a chain length longer than four carbon atoms) (PubMed:9326939, PubMed:10744784, PubMed:12031666, PubMed:12923223). Does not hydroxylate long and very long straight chain acyl-CoAs or 2-methyl- and 4-methyl-branched acyl-CoAs (PubMed:10744784, PubMed:12923223). 2-oxoglutarate + O2 + phytanoyl-CoA = 2-hydroxyphytanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + 3-methylhexadecanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxy-3-methylhexadecanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + hexadecanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxyhexadecanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + O2 + octanoyl-CoA = 2-hydroxyoctanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + decanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxydecanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + 3-methylbutanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + heptadecanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxyheptadecanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + eicosanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxyeicosanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + O2 + octadecanoyl-CoA = 2-hydroxyoctadecanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + dodecanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxydodecanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + O2 + tetradecanoyl-CoA = 2-hydroxytetradecanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + hexanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxyhexanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + butanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxybutanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + 3-methylnonanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxy-3-methylnonanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + 3-methylundecanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxy-3-methylundecanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate 2-oxoglutarate + 3-methyldodecanoyl-CoA + O2 = 2-hydroxy-3-methyldodecanoyl-CoA + CO2 + succinate Lipid metabolism; fatty acid metabolism. Interacts with FKBP52 (PubMed:10051602). Interacts with PHYHIP. Expressed in liver, kidney, and T-cells, but not in spleen, brain, heart, lung and skeletal muscle. The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. Belongs to the PhyH family.