Handfish
| Handfish Temporal range: Lutetian to Present | |
|---|---|
| Brachionichthys hirsutus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Lophiiformes |
| Suborder: | Antennarioidei |
| Family: | Brachionichthyidae T. N. Gill, 1878 |
| Genera | |
|
see text | |
Handfish are marine, ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Brachionichthyidae, a group that comprises five genera and 14 extant species and is classified within the suborder Antennarioidei in the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. These benthic, marine fish are unusual in the way that in addition to swimming, they also use their pectoral fins to "walk" on the sea floor.