Brachionichthys
Brachionichthys was, until recently, the only genus in the family Brachionichthyidae, but presently five genera are placed in this family of anglerfishes.
They use their pectoral fins to walk about on the sea floor. These highly modified fins have the appearance of hands, hence their scientific name, from Latin brachium meaning "arm" and Greek ichthys meaning "fish".
The prehistoric species Histiontophorus bassani, from the Lutetian of Monte Bolca, is now considered to be a handfish, sometimes even being included in Brachionichthys.Species
The currently recognized species in this genus are:
