Synanceiidae, the stonefishes, are a family of ray-finned fish in the order Perciformes, found in the Indo-Pacific region. They are close relatives of the scorpionfishes, with both placed in the suborder Scorpaenoidei. Many members of this family, most famously the subfamily Synanceiinae, are venomous. A majority of species in this family are marine, but some such as Notesthes robusta inhabit freshwater habitats.
All synanceiids share the unique defense mechanism of a "lachrymal saber", a switchblade-like spine found under each eye (being attached to the lachrymal bone) that can be projected forwards via movement of the maxilla.
Taxonomy Some members of this family, such as the unusual Gnathanacanthinae and Eschmeyerinae, were formerly treated as their own distinct families, while the Synanceiinae themselves were treated as a subfamily of the Scorpaenidae. However, phylogenetic evidence suggests that all these clades are closely related to one another, and Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes presently treats them as subfamilies of the family Synanceiidae.
The following genera are classified in this family, based on Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes:
Family Synanceiidae Genus †Eosynanceja Casier, 1946 (Early Eocene of Belgium) Subfamily Apistinae Gill, 1859 (wasp scorpionfishes) Genus Apistops Ogilby, 1911 Genus Apistus Cuvier, 1829 Genus Cheroscorpaena Mees, 1964 Subfamily Perryeninae Honma, Imamura & Kawai, 2013 (whitenose pigfishes) Genus Perryena Whitley, 1940 Subfamily Eschmeyerinae Mandrytsa, 2001 (cofishes) Genus Eschmeyer Poss & Springer, 1983 Subfamily Gnathanacanthinae Gill, 1892 (red velvetfishes) Genus Gnathanacanthus Bleeker, 1855 Subfamily Aploactininae Jordan & Starks, 1904 (velvetfishes) Genus Acanthosphex Fowler, 1938 Genus Adventor Whitley, 1952 Genus Aploactis Temminck & Schlegel, 1843 Genus Aploactisoma Castelnau, 1872 Genus Bathyaploactis Whitley, 1933 Genus Cocotropus Kaup, 1858 Genus Erisphex Jordan & Starks 1904 Genus Kanekonia Tanaka, 1915 Genus Matsubarichthys Poss & Johnson, 1991 Genus Neoaploactis Eschmeyer & Allen, 1978 Genus Paraploactis Bleeker, 1864 Genus Peristrominous Whitley, 1952 Genus Prosoproctus Poss & Eschmeyer, 1979 Genus Pseudopataecus Johnson, 2004 Genus Ptarmus J. L. B. Smith, 1947 Genus Sthenopus Richardson, 1848 Genus Xenaploactis Poss & Eschmeyer, 1980 Subfamily Pataecinae Gill, 1872 (prowfishes) Genus Aetapcus E.O.G. Scott, 1936 Genus Neopataecus Steindachner, 1884 Genus Pataecus Richardson, 1844 Subfamily Tetraroginae Smith, 1949 (waspfishes) Genus Ablabys Kaup, 1873 Genus Centropogon Gunther, 1860 Genus Coccotropsis Barnard, 1927 Genus Cottapistus Bleeker, 1876 Genus Glyptauchen Gunther, 1860 Genus Gymnapistes Swainson, 1839 Genus Liocranium Ogilby, 1903 Genus Neocentropogon Matsubara, 1943 Genus Neovespicula Mandrytsa, 2001 Genus Notesthes Ogilby, 1903 Genus Ocosia Jordan & Starks, 1904 Genus Paracentropogon Bleeker, 1876 Genus Pseudovespicula Mandrytsa, 2001 Genus Richardsonichthys J. L. B. Smith, 1958 Genus Snyderina Jordan & Starks, 1901 Genus Tetraroge Gunther, 1860 Genus Trichosomus Swainson, 1839 (=Vespicula Jordan & Richardson, 1910) Subfamily Choridactylinae Kaup, 1859 (stingers) Genus Choridactylus Richardson, 1848 Genus Inimicus Jordan & Starks, 1904 Genus Minous Cuvier, 1829 Subfamily Synanceiinae Swainson, 1839 (stonefishes) Genus Dampierosa Whitley, 1932 Genus Erosa Swainson, 1839 Genus Leptosynanceia Bleeker, 1874 Genus Pseudosynanceia Day, 1875 Genus Synanceia Bloch & Schneider, 1801 Genus Trachicephalus Swainson, 1839
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