Acentrophryne dolichonema was first formally described in 2005 by the ichthyologists Theodore Pietsch and Mitsomi Shimazaki with its type locality given as off Peru at 8°10.6' to 11.9'S, 80°32.0'-32.4'W from waters where the bottom depth was 1,061 to 1,105 m (3,481 to 3,625 ft).

This genus is known from the fossil record, as a single specimen was found in 1977 from a Miocene diatomaceous deposit in the Puente Hills of Southern California.

This was initially tentatively identified as being A. longidens but its identity is now left open as Acentrophryne sp.

Its use may date as far back as Aristotle and Cicero, who referred to anglerfishes as "fishing-frogs" and "sea-frogs", respectively, possibly because of their resemblance to frogs and toads.

[6] Acentrophryne dolichonema is apparently endemic to the Eastern Pacific and is known from three specimens collected from a single locality off northern Peru at depsth between 201 and 1,105 m (659 and 3,625 ft).