Cocotropus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, velvetfishes belonging to the family Aploactinidae.

Cocotropus was first described as a genus in 1858 by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup as a monotypic genus, the only species classified within it being Corythobatus echinatus, which had been described in 1849 by the Danish zoologist Theodore Cantor from Penang in Malaysia.

[7] There are currently 17 recognized species in this genus:[8][2] Cocotropus velvetfishes are characterised by the gill membranes not being attached to the isthmus which has fleshy extensions.

[10] These are small fishes, the largest is the roughskin scorpionfish (C. monacanthus) which reaches a maximum published total length of 13.1 cm (5.2 in).

[8] Cocotropus velvetfishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region from the eastern coasts of Africa to New Caledonia, north to Japan and south to Australia.