They are found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and to the Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa.

They are deep-water fishes and have been found down to 5,000 m. It is thought that they are bathypelagic (deep ocean dwelling) or benthic (bottom dwelling) as they are known to eat crabs.

Their common name derives from the large spiny form of their scales in some species.

Species

• Genus Abyssoberyx
• Abyssoberyx levisquamosus Merrett & Moore, 2005.
• Genus Acanthochaenus
• Acanthochaenus luetkenii Gill, 1884.
• Genus Malacosarcus
• Malacosarcus macrostoma (Günther, 1878).
• Genus Stephanoberyx
• Stephanoberyx monae Gill, 1883.

References

• Merrett, N. R. and J. A. Moore. 2005. A new genus and species of deep demersal fish (Teleostei: Stephanoberycidae) from the tropical eastern North Atlantic. Journal of Fish Biology 67:1699–1710.