Australian prowfishes are a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

, Pataecidae, of scorpaeniform fishes. They are distinguished by a long dorsal fin

Dorsal fin

A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...

 that begins far forward on the head, forming a "prow" shape, and extends all the way to the caudal fin. They lack scales and pelvic fins.

Species

There are just three species of prowfish, each the sole member of its genus:

Family Pataecidae

• Genus Aetapcus
  • Aetapcus maculatus - Warty Prowfish
• Genus Neopataecus
  • Neopataecus waterhousii - Whiskered Prowfish
• Genus Pataecus
  • Pataecus fronto - Red Indianfish