Histiophryne is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the subfamily Histiophryninae in the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes.

These fishes are easily distinguished from other anglerfishes as having a reduced (or missing) luring appendage, a highly evolved form of the first dorsal fin spine.

Histiophryne was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1863 by the American biologist Theodore Gill with Chironectes bougainvilli designated as its type species.

[1] C. bougainvilli was first formally described by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes withits type locality given as "Indian seas".

[4] However, the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Antennariidae, classifying the family within the suborder Antennarioidei within the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes.

[6] Histiophryne currently contains the following six recognised species:[7][8] Frogfishes have a short, spherical body that is laterally compressed.

The second and third spines of organisms in the genus Histiophryne look like small bumps because they are attached to the surface of the head with skin.

[12] In Histiophryne, the size of the illicium is significantly smaller, frequently covered by skin, and not banded.

[14] In jet propulsion, the frogfish will inhale a substantial amount of water into its mouth and push it out through its gills.

[15] The genus is found in the waters surrounding Taiwan, the Philippines, the Maluku Islands, and the southern coast of Australia.